rich men of this world not to be high minded nor to put hope in the uncertaintie of their riches The reason of which speech is uttered by the scripture in another place when it saith Riches shal not profit a man in the day of revenge That is at the day of death and judgement which thing the rich men of this world do confesse themselves though too late when they crie Divitiarum iactantia quid nobis contulit What hath the braverie of our riches profited us Al which evidently declareth the great vanitie of worldly riches which can do the possessor no good at al when he hath most need of their help Rich men have slept their sleep saith the prophet and have found nothing in their hands that is rich men have passed over this life as men do passe over a sleep imagining themselves to have golden mountains and treasures and when they awake at the day of their death they find themselves to have nothing in their hands In respect wherof the prophet Baruch asketh this question Where are they now which heaped togither gold and silver and which made no end of their scraping togither And he answereth himselfe immediately Exterminati sunt ad inferos descenderunt They are now rooted out and are gone down unto hel To like effect saith Saint Iames Now go to you rich men weep and howl in your miseries that come upon you your riches are rotten and your gold and silver is rustie and the rust therof shal be in testimonie against you it shal feed on your flesh as fire you have hoorded up wrath for your selves in the last day 23 If wealth of this world be not onlie so vain but also so perilous as heer is affirmed what vanitie then is it for men to set their minds upon it as they do Saint Paul saith of himselfe that He esteemed it al but as doong And he had great reason surely to say so seeing indeed they are but doong that is the verie excrements of the earth and found only in the most barren places therof as they can tel which have seen their mines What a base matter is this then for a man to tie his love unto God commanded in the old law that whatsoever did go with his breast upon the ground should be unto us in abhomination How much more then a reasonable man that hath glewed his hart soul unto a peece of earth We came in naked unto this world and naked we must go foorth again saith Iob. The mil-wheel stirreth much about and beateth it selfe from day to day and yet at the yeers end it is in the same place as it was in the beginning so rich men let them toil and labor what they can yet at their death must they be as poore as at the first day wherin they were born When the rich man dieth saith Iob he shal take nothing with him but shal close up his eies and find nothing Povertie shal lay hands upon him and a tempest shal oppresse him in the night a burning wind shal take him away and a whirl wind shal snatch him from his place it shal rush upon him and shal not spare him it shal bind his hands upon him and shal hisse over him For that it seeth his place whither he must go 24 The prophet David in like wise forewarneth us of the same in these words Be not afraid when thou seest a man made rich and the glorie of his house multiplied For when he dieth he shal take nothing with him nor shal his glorie descend to the place whither he goeth he shal passe into the progenies of his ancestors that is he shal go to the place where they are who hath lived as he hath don and world without end he shal see no more light 25 Al this and much more is spoken by the holie Ghost to signifie the dangerous vanitie of worldly wealth and the folly of those men who labor so much to procure the same with the eternal peril of their souls as the scripture assureth us If so manie physicians as I have heer alledged scriptures should agree togither that such or such meats were venomous perilsom I think few would give the adventure to eat them though otherwise in tast they appeered sweet and pleasant How then commeth it to passe that so many earnest admonitions of God himselfe cannot stay us from the love of this dangerous vanitie Nolite cor apponere saith God by the prophet that is Lay not your hart unto the love of riches Qui diligit aurum non iustificabitur saith the wise man He that loveth gold shal never be iustified I am angrie greatly upon rich nations saith God by Zacharie Christ saith Amen dico vobis quia dives difficile intrabit in regnum caelorum Truly I say unto you that a rich man shal hardly get into the kingdom of heaven And again Wo be to you rich men for that you have received your consolation in this life Finally Saint Paul saith generally of al and to al They which wil be rich do fal into temptation and into the snare of the divel and into manie unprofitable and hurtful desires which do drown men in destruction and perdition 26 Can any thing in the world be spoken more effectually to dissuade from the love of riches than this Must not heer now the covetous men either denie God or cōdemn themselves in their own consciences Let them go and excuse themselves by the pretence of wife and children as they are woont saieng They mean nothing els but to provide for their sufficiencie Doth Christ or Saint Paul admit this excusation Ought we so much to love wife or children or other kindred as to endanger our souls for the same What comfort may it be to an afflicted father in hel to remember that by his means his wife and children do live wealthily in earth Al this is vanitie deer brother and meer deceit of our spiritual enimie For within one moment after we are dead we shal care no more for wife children father mother or brother in this matter than we shal for a meer stranger and one penie given in alms while we lived for Gods sake shal comfort us more at that day than thousands of pounds bestowed upon our kin for the natural love we bare unto our own flesh and blood the which I would to Christ worldlie men did consider And then no dowt they would never take such care for kindred as they do especially upon their death-beds whence presently they are to depart to that place where flesh and blood holdeth no more privilege nor riches have any power to deliver but only such as were wel bestowed in the service of God or given to the poore for his names sake And this shal be sufficient for this point of riches 27 The third branch of worldly vanities is called by
that to persuade our selves the contrarie therof were to mok and abuse God which hath laied down this law unto us 20 Notwithstanding as I have said this barreth not the mercie of God from using a priuilege to some at the very last cast But yet miserable is that man which placeth the ankor of his eternal wealth or wo upon so ticklesome a point as this is I cal it ticklesome for that al divines which have written of this matter do speak very dowtfully of the conversion of a man at the last end And although they do not absolutely condemn it in al but do leave it as uncertain unto Gods secret judgement yet do they incline to the negative part and do alledge four reasons for which that conversion is to be dowted as insufficient for a mans salvation 21 The first reason is for that the extreme fear and pains of death being as the philosopher saith the most terrible of al terrible things do not permit a man so to gather his spirits and senses at that time as is required for the treating of so weightie a matter with God as is our conversion and salvation And if we see often that a very good man cannot fix his mind earnestly upon heavenly cogitations at such time as he is troubled with the passions of cholik or other sharp diseases how much lesse in the anguishes of death can a worldly man do the same being unacquainted with that exercise and loden with the guilt of many and great sins and cloied with the love both of his bodie and things belonging therunto 22 The second reason is for that the conversion which a man maketh at the last day is not for the most part voluntarie but upon necessitie and for fear such as was the repentance of Simei who having greevously offended king David in time of his affliction afterward when he saw him in prosperitie again himselfe in danger of punishment he came and fel down before him and asked him forgivenes with tears But yet David wel perceived the matter how it stood and therfore though he spared him for that day wherin he would not trouble the mirth with execution of justice yet after he gave order that he should be used according to his deserts 23 The third reason is for that the custome of sin which hath continued al the life long is seldome remooved upon the instant being grown into nature it selfe as it were for which cause God saith to evil men by the prophet Ieremie If an Ethiopian can change his blak skin or a leopard his spots that are on his bak then can you also do wel having learned al dais of your life to do evil 24 The fourth cause for that the acts of vertu themselves cannot be of so great valu with God in that instant as if they had been done in time of health before For what great matter is it for example sake to pardon thine enimies at that time when thou canst hurt them no more To give thy goods away when thou canst use them no more To abandon thy concubine when thou canst keepe hir no longer To leave off to sin when sin must leave thee Al these things are good and holie and to be done by him which is in that last state but yet they are of no such valu as otherwise they would be by reason of this circumstance of time which I have shewed B. * A fift reason might be taken of experience for that we see oft times that such as repent after that maner if they recover again they are afterward as bad as they were before and somtimes much woorse which without quaestion was not tru repentance in them 25 These are reasons why there is such dowt made of this last conversion not for any want on Gods part but on theirs which are to do that great act Mark wel saith one again what I say and it may be it shal be needful to expound my meaning more plainly least any man mistake me What say I then That a man which repenteth not but at the end shal be damned I do not say so What then Do I say he shal be saved No. What then do I say I say I know not I say I presume not I promise not I know not Wilt thou deliver thy selfe foorth of this dowt Wilt thou escape this dangerous and uncertain point Repent then whiles thou art whole For if thou repent while thou art in health whensoever the last day shal come upon thee thou art safe And why art thou safe For that thou didst repent in that time wherin thou mightest have sinned But if thou wilt repent then when thou canst sin no longer thou leavest not sin but sin leaveth thee 26 And heer now would I have the careful Christian to consider with me but this one comparison that I wil make If those which do shew a kind of repentance at the last day do passe hence notwithstanding in such dangerous dowtfulnes what shal we think of al those which lak either time or ability or wil or grace to repent at al at that hour What shal we say of al those which are cut off before Which dy suddenly Which are striken senseles or frentik as we see manie are What shal we say of those which are abandoned by God and left unto vice even unto the last breath in their bodie I have shewed before out of Saint Paul that ordinarily sinners die according as they live So it is as it were a privilege for a wicked man to have his repentance to be begun when he is to die And then if his repentance when it doth come be so dowtful what a pittiful case are al others in I mean the more part which repent not at al but die as they lived and are forsaken of God in that extremitie according as he promiseth when he saith For that I have called you and you have refused to come for that I held out my hand and none of you would vouchsafe to looke towards I wil laugh also at your destruction when anguish and calamitie commeth on you You shal cal upon me and I wil not hear you shal rise betimes in the morning to see me but you shal not find me 27 When a worldling doth see that the brightnes of his honor vainglorie and worldly pomp is consumed when the heat of concupiscence of carnal love of delicate pleasures is quenched when the beautiful summer day of this life is ended and the boisterous winter night of death draweth on then wil he turn unto God then wil he repent then wil he resolve himselfe and make his conversion When he can live no longer he wil promise any pains what hearing or studieng of the word of God you wil what toil or labor in his vocation you wil what praier you wil what fasting you wil what alms deeds you can desire what austeritie you can imagin he
advertisement to the Reader How necessarie a thing it is for a man to resolve to leave vanities and to serve God What argument the devil useth to draw men from this resolution How wilful ignorance doth-increase and not excuse sin What mind a man should have that would read this Treatise The second Chapter How necessarie it is to enter into earnest consideration and meditation of our estate wherin is declared That inconsideration heerin is a great enimie to resolution What inconveniences grow therby The nature and commoditie of consideration Of the exact maner of meditating the particulars of religion in the fathers of old and the fashion of beleeving in grosse at this day The third Chapter Of the end in general why man was created and placed in this world wherin is handled How du consideration of this end helpeth a man to iudge of himselfe What mind a man should have to creatures The lamentable condition of the world by want of this du consideration And the mischeefe therof at the last day The fourth Chapter Of the end of man more in particular and of two special parts of the same required at his hands in this life wherin is discussed How exactly both these parts are to be exercised The description of a Christian life The lamentable condition of our negligence heerin The care and diligence of many of the fathers touching the same The remedies that they used for the one part what monuments of pietie they left behind touching the other The indifferent estates of good and evil men as wel praesently and at the day of death as in the life to come The fift Chapter Of the severe account that we must yeeld to God wherin is declared A principal point of wisdome in an accountant for viewing of the state of his account before hand The maiestie of ceremonies and circumstances used by God at the first publication of his law in writing and his severe punishment of offenders The sharp speeches of our savior against sinners Why two iudgements are appointed after death The sudden comming of them both The demands in our account at the general iudgement The circumstances of horror and dread before at and after the same What a treasure a good conscience wil then be The pittiful case of the damned How easily the dangers of those matters may be praevented in du time The sixt Chapter A consideration of the nature of sin and of a sinner to shew the cause why God justly useth the rigor before mentioned wherin is described Gods infinite hatred to sinners The reasons why God hateth them That they are enimies to God to themselves How God punisheth sinners as wel the penitent as the obstinate and of the bitter speeches in scripture against sinners Of the seven miseries and losses which come by sin The obstinacie of sinners in this age Two principal causes of sin Of the danger to live in sin How necessarie it is to fear The seventh Chapter Another consideration for the further justifieng of Gods judgements and declaration of our demerit taken from the majestie of God and his benefits towards us wherin is shewed A contemplation of the maiestie of God and of his benefits Of the several uses of sacraments Divers complaints against sinners in the person of God Our intollerable contempt and ingratitude against so great a maiestie and benefactor Of great causes we have to love God beside his benefits How he requireth nothing of us but gratitude That it resteth in du resolution to serve him An exhortation to this gratitude with a short praier for a penitent sinner in this case The eight Chapter Of what opinion and feeling we shal be touching these matters at the time of our death wherin is expressed The induration of some harts kept from resolution by worldly respects Of the matters of terror pain and miserie that principally molest a man at his death A contemplation of the terrors speech or cogitation of a sinner at the hour of death Of divers apparitions and visions to the iust and to the wicked lieng a dieng How al these miseries may be praevented The ninth Chapter Of the pains appointed for him after this life and of two sorts of them wherin is declared How God useth the motive of threats to induce men to resolution Of the everlasting pain in hel reserved for the damned and common to al that are there Of the two parts therof that is pain sensible and pain of losse Vehement coniectures touching the severitie of those pains Of the several names of hel in divers toongs Of the particular pains for particular offenders peculiar in qualitie quantitie to the sins of ech offender Of the woorm of conscience The tenth Chapter Of the rewards benefits and commodities provided for Gods servants wherin is declared How God is the best pay-master Of his infinite magnificence The nature greatnes and valu of his rewards A description of paradise Of two parts of felicitie in heaven A contemplation of the commodities of the said two felicities ioined togither The honor wherunto a Christian man is born by baptism An admonition against securitie in this life The contents of the second part of this booke touching impediments of resolution The first Chapter Of the first impediment which is the difficultie that manie think to be in vertuous life wherin is declared Nine special privileges and helps wherwith the vertuous are aided above the wicked 1 The force of Gods grace for easing of vertuous life against al temptations 2 Of what force love is heerin And how a man may know whether he have love towards God or no. 3 Of a peculiar light of understanding pertaining to the iust 4 Of internal consolation of mind 5 Of the quiet of a good conscience in the iust 6 Of hope in God which the vertuous have And that the hope of the wicked is indeed no hope but meer presumption 7 Of freedom of soul and bodie which the vertuous have 8 Of the peace of mind in the vertuous towards God their neighbor and themselves 9 Of the expectation of the reward that the vertuous have Of the comfort that holie men have after their conversion And how the best men have had greatest conflicts therin Of Saint Austens conversion and four annotations therupon The second Chapter Of the second impediment which is tribulation wherin are handled four special points 1 First that it is an ordinarie means of salvation to suffer some tribulation 2 Secondly that there be thirteen special considerations of Gods purpose in sending afflictions to his servants which are laid down and declared in particular 3 Thirdly what special considerations of comfort a man may have in tribulation The third Chapter Of the third impediment which is love of the world which is drawn to six points 1 First how and in what sense the world and commodities therof are vanities and of three general points of worldly vanities 2 Secondly how worldly commodities
wherof he maketh mention in his writings As also al godly men by his example have used the like helps since for the better resisting of sinful temptations when need required and the like Wherof I could here recite great store of examples out of the holy fathers which would make a man to woonder and afeard also if he were not past fear to see what extream pain and diligence those first Christians tooke in watching every little sleight of the devil and in resisting every little temptation or cogitation of sin wheras we never think of the matter nor make account either of cogitation consent of hart word or work but do yeeld to al whatsoever our concupiscence moveth us unto do swalow down every hook laid vs by the devil and most greedily do devour every poisoned pleasant bait which is offered by the enimy for the destruction of our souls and thus much about resisting of sin 9 But now touching the second point which is continual exercising our selves in good works it is evident in itselfe that we utterly fail for the most part of us in the same I have shewed before how we are in scripture cōmanded to do them without ceasing and most diligently whiles we have time of day to do them in for as Christ saith The night wil come when no man can work any more I might also shew how certein of our forefathers the saints of God were most diligent and careful in doing good works in their dais even as the husbandman is careful to cast seed into the ground whiles fair weather lasteth and the merchant to lay out his mony whiles the good market endureth They knew the time would not last long which they had to work in and therfore they bestirred themselves whiles opportunitie served they never ceased but came from one good work to another wel knowing what they did and how good and acceptable service it was unto God 10 If there were nothing els to proove their wonderful care and diligence herein yet the infinite monuments of their almes-deeds yet extant to the world are sufficient testimonies of the same to wit the infinite churches builded and indued with great abundant maintenance for the ministers of the same so manie schooles colledges vniversities so many bridges highwais and publik commodities Which charitable deeds and a thousand mo both private and publik secret and open which I cannot report came out of the purses of our good ancesters who oftentimes not only gave of their abundance but also saved from their own mouths and bestowed it upon deeds of charitie to the glorie of God and benefit of others Wheras we are so far of from giving awaie our necessaries as we wil not bestow our very superfluities but wil imploy them rather upon hawks and dogs and other brute beasts and somtimes also upon much viler uses than to the releefe of our poore brethren 11 Alas deer brother to what a carelesse and senseles estate are we come touching our own salvation and damnation S. Paul crieth out unto us Work your own salvation with fear and trembling and yet no man for that maketh account therof S. Peter warneth us gravely and earnestly Brethren take you great care to make your vocation and election sure by good works and yet who almost wil think upon them Christ himselfe thundereth in these words I tel you make your selves frinds in this world of uniust mammon that when you faint they may receive you into eternal tabernacles And yet for al that we are not moved herewithal so dead we are and lumpish to al goodnes 12 If God did exhort us to good deeds for his own commoditie or for any gain that he is to take therby yet in reason we ought to pleasure him therin seing we have receaved al from his only liberalitie before But seing he asketh it at our hands for no need of his own but only for our gain to pay us home again with advantage it is more reason we should harken unto him If a common honest man upon earth should invite us to do a thing promising us of his honestie a sufficient reward we would beleve him but God making infinit promises unto us in scripture of eternal reward to our wel doing as that we shal eat with him drink with him raigne with him possesse heaven with him and the like can not move us notwithstanding to works of charitie But bicause those forefathers of ours were moved herewithal as having harts of softer metal than ours are of therfore they brought foorth such abundant fruit as I have shewed 13 Of al this then that I have said the godly Christian may gather first the lamentable estate of the world at this day when amongst the smal number of those which bear the name of Christians so many are like to perish for not performing of these two principal points of their uocation Secondly he may gather the cause of the infinit difference of reward for good and evil in the life to come which some men wil seeme to marvel at but in deed is most just and reasonable considering the great diversitie of life in good and evil men whiles they are in this world For the good man doth not only endevor to avoid sin but also by resisting the same daily and hourly encreaseth in the fauor of God The loose man by yeelding consent to his concupiscence doth not only lose the favor of God but also doubleth sin upon sin without number The good man besides avoiding sin doth infinit good works at the least wise in desire and hart wher greter abilitie serveth not But the wicked man neither in hart nor deed doth any good at al but rather seeketh in place therof to do hurt The good man imploieth al his mind hart words and hands to the service of God and of his servants for his sake But the wicked man bendeth al his force and powers both of body and mind to the service of vanities the world his flesh Insomuch that as the good man increaseth hourly in the favor of God to which is du increase of grace and glory in heaven so the evil from time to time in thought word or deed or in al at once heapeth up sin and damnation upon himself to which is du vengeance and increase of torments in hel and in this contrarie course they passe over their lives for twentie thirtie or fortie yeeres and so come to die And is it not reason now that seeing there is so great diversitie in their estates there should be as great or more diversitie also in their reward Especially seeing God is a great God and rewardeth smal things with great wages either of everlasting glorie or everlasting pain Thirdly and lastly the diligent and careful Christian may gather of this what great cause he hath to put in practise the godly counsel of Saint Paul which is That every man should prove
and were not readie jump at the very hour to go in with him and would not know them when they came after and finally he promiseth to damn al those without exception which shal work iniquitie as S. Mathew testifieth 7 Moreover being asked by a certain ruler on a time how he might be saved he would geeve him no other hope so long as he sought salvation by his works though he were a prince but only this If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements of God And talking with his disciples at another time of the same matter he geeveth them no other rule of their life but this If ye love me keepe my commandements As who should say if you were never so much my disciples if ye break my commandements there is no more love nor frindship betwixt us And S. Iohn which best of al others knew his meaning herein expoundeth it in this sense when he saith If a man saith he knoweth God and yet keepeth not his commandements he is a liar and the truth is not in him And more yet to take away al hope or expectation from his disciples of any other way pleasing him than by keeping his commandements he saith in another place that He came not to take away the law but to fulfill it and streight way he inferreth upon the same Whosoever therfore shal break one of the least of these commandements shal be called the least in the kingdom of heaven For which cause at his departure out of the world the verie last words that he spake to his Apostles were these that They should teach men to observe al his commandements whatsoever 8 By which appeereth the severe meaning that Christ had touching our account for the keeping of his commandements in this life The which also may be gathered by that being asked whether the number were smal of them that should be saved he counseleth men to strive to go into the strait gate for that many should be shut out yea even of them which had eaten and drunken with him and had enjoied the corporal presence of his blessed bodie but had not regarded to live as he commanded them In which case he signifieth that no respect or frindship must take place with him at the last day for which cause he said to the man whom he had healed at the fish pools side in Ierusalem Behold now thou art hole see thou sin no more least worse come to thee than before And generally he warneth vs in Saint Mathews gospel that we agree with our adversaries and make our accounts streight in this life otherwise we shal pay the uttermost farthing in the life to come And yet more severely he saith in another place That we shal render account at the day of iudgment for every idle word which we have spoken 9 Which day of judgement he warneth us of before and foretelleth the rigor and danger in sundrie places of holie scripture to the end we should prevent the same and so direct our lives while we have time in this world as we may present our selves at that day without fear and danger or rather with great joy and comfort when so manie thousands of wicked people shal appeer there to their eternal confusion 10 And bicause there is nothing which so fitly sheweth the severitie of Christ in taking our account at the last day as the order and maner of this judgement described most diligently by the holy scripture it selfe it shal make much for our purpose to consider the same And first of al it is to be noted that there be two judgements appointed after death wherof the one is called particular wherby ech man presently upon his departure from this world receaveth particular sentence either of punishment or of glorie according to his deeds in this life as Christs own words are wherof we have examples in Lazarus and the rich glutton who were presently caried the one to pain the other to rest as Saint Luke testifieth And to dowt of this were obstinacie as Saint Austen affirmeth The other judgment is called general for that it shal be of al men togither in the end of the world where shal a final sentence be pronounced either of reward or punishment upon al men that ever lived according to the works which they have done good or bad in this life and afterward never more question be made of altering their estate that is of easing the pain of the one or ending the glorie of the other 11 Now as touching the first of these two judgements albeit the holy ancient fathers especiallie Saint Austen do gather and consider divers particulars of great severitie and feare as the passage of our soul from the body to the tribunal seat of God under the custody both of good and evil angels the fear she hath of them the sodain strangenes of the place where she is the terror of Gods presence the strait examination she must abide and the like yet for that the most of these things are to be considered also in the second judgement which is general I wil passe over to the same noting only certain reasons yeelded by the holy fathers why God after the first judgement wherin he had assigned to ech man according to his deserts in particular would appoint moreover this second general judgment Wherof the first is for that the body of man rising from his sepulchre might be partaker of the eternal punishment or glorie of the soul even as it hath beene partaker with the same either in vertue or vice in this life The second is that as Christ was dishonored and put to confusion here in the world publikly so much more he might shew his majestie and power at that day in the sight of al creatures and especially of his enimies The third is that both the wicked and good might receave their reward openly to more confusion hart greefe of the one and to the greater joy and triumph of the other who commonly in this world have been overborn by the wicked The fourth is for that evil men when they die do not commonly carie with them al their demerit and evil for that they leave behind them either their evil example or their children and familiars corrupted by them or els books and means which may in time corrupt others Al which being not yet done but comming to passe after their death they cannot so conveniently receave their judgement for the same presently but as the evil falleth out so their pains are to be increased The like may be said of the good So that for examples sake Saint Pauls glorie is increased daily and shal be unto the worlds end by reason of them that daily profit by his writings and example and the pains of the wicked are for the like reason daily augmented But at the last day of judgment shal be an end
another place he complaineth yet as the prophet saith God wil have his day with these men also when he wil be known And that is Cognoscetur dominus iudicia faciens God wil be known when he beginneth to do iudgment And this is at the day of death which is the next dore to judgement as the Apostle testifieth saieng It is appointed for al men once to die and after that ensueth iudgement 3 This I say is the day of God most terrible sorrowful and ful of tribulation to the wicked wherin God wil be known to be a righteous God and to restore to every man according as he hath done while he lived as Saint Paul saith or as the prophet describeth it He wil be known then to be a terrible God and such a one as taketh away the spirit of princes a terrible God to the kings of the earth At this day as there wil be a great change in al other things as mirth wil be turned into sorrow laughings into weepings pleasures into paines stoutnes into fear pride into dispaire and the like so especially wil there be a strange alteration in judgement and opinion for that the wisdom of God wherof I have spoken in the former chapters which as the scripture saith Is accounted holy of the wise of the world wil then appeere in hir likenes and as it is in very deed wil be confessed by hir greatest enimies to be only tru wisdom and al carnal wisdom of worldlings to be meer folly as God calleth it 4 This the holie scripture setteth down cleerly when it describeth the verie speeches and lamentations of the wise men of this world at the last day saieng touching the vertuous whom they despised in this life Nos insensati c. We senseles men did esteem their life to be madnes and their end to be dishonorable but look how they are now accounted among the children of God and their portion is with the saints We have erred from the way of truth and the light of righteousnes hath not shined before us neither hath the sun of understanding appeered unto us We have wearied out our selves in the way of iniquitie and perdition and we have walked craggy paths but the way of the Lord we have not known Hitherto are the words of scripture wherby we may perceave what great change of judgement there wil be at the last day from that which men have now of al such matters what confessing of follie what acknowledging of error what hartie sorrow for labor lost what fruitles repentance for having run awry Oh that men would consider these things now We have wearied out our selves say these miserable men in the way of iniquitie and perdition and we have walked craggie paths What a description is this of lamentable worldlings who beat their brains daily weary out themselves in pursuit of vanitie and chaf of this world for which they suffer notwithstanding more pains oftentimes than the just do in purchasing of heaven And when they arrive to at the last day wearied and worn out with troble and toile they finde that al their labor is lost al their vexation taken in vain for that the litle pelfe which they have gotten in the world and for which they have strugled so sore wil helpe them nothing but rather greatly afflict and torment them for better understanding wherof it is to be considered that three things wil principallie molest these men at the day of their death and unto these may al the rest be referred 5 The first is the excessive pains which commonly men suffer in the separation of the soul and bodie which have lived so long together as two deer frinds united in love and pleasure and therfore most loth to part now but onlie that they are inforced therunto This pain may partly be conceaved by that if we would drive out life but from the least part of our bodie as for example out of our little finger as surgeons are woont to do when they wil mortifie any place to make it break what a pain doth a man suffer before it be dead What raging greefe doth he abide And if the mortifieng of one little part onlie doth so much afflict us imagin what the violent mortifieng of al the parts together wil do For we see that first the soul is driven by death to leave the extreeme parts as the toes feet and fingers then the legs arms and so consequently one part dieth after another until life be restrained onlie to the hart which holdeth out longest as the principal part but yet must finally be constrained to render it selfe though with never so much pain and resistance which pain how great strong it is may appeer by the breaking in peeces of the very strings and holds wherwith it was environed through the excessive vehemencie of this deadly torment But yet before it come to this point to yeeld no man can expresse the cruel conflict that is betwixt death and hir and what distresses she abideth in time of hir agonie Imagin that a prince possessed a goodly citie in al peace wealth and pleasure and greatly frinded of al his neighbors about him who promise to assist him in al his needs and affairs and that upon the sudden his mortal enimie should come and besiege this citie and taking one hold after another one wal after another one castel after another should drive this prince only to a little tower and besiege him therin al his other holds being beaten down and his men slain in his sight what fear anguish and miserie would this prince be in How often would he look out at the windows and loope holes of his tower to see whether his frinds and neighbors would come to help him or no And if he saw them al to abandon him and his cruel enimie even ready to break in upon him would he not be in a pitiful plight trow you And even so fareth it with a poore soul at the hour of death The bodie wherin she raigneth like a joly princesse in al pleasure whiles it florished is now battered and overthrown by hir enimy which is death the arms legs and other parts wherwith she was fortified as with wals words during time of helth are now surprised and beaten to the ground and she is driven only to the hart as to the last and extreemest refuge where she is also most fearcely assailed in such sort as she cannot hold out long Hir deer frinds which soothed hir in time of prosperitie and promised assistance as youth physik and other humane helps do now utterly abandon hir the enimie wil not be pacified or make any leag but night and day assaulteth this turret wherin she is and which now beginneth to shake and shiver in peeces and she looketh hourly when hir enimie in most raging and dreadful maner wil enter upon hir What think
you is now the state of this afflicted soul It is no marvel if a wise man become a foole or a stout worldling most abject in this instant of extremitie as we often see they do in such sort as they can dispose of nothing wel either towards God or the world at this hour the cause is the extremitie of pains oppressing their minds as Saint Austen also proveth or some other under his name and giveth us therwithal a most excellent forewarning if men were so gracious as to folow it When you shal be in your last siknes deer brother saith he O how hard and painful a thing wil it be for you to repent of your faults committed And why is this but only for that al the intention of your mind wil run thither where al the force of your pain is Manie impediments shal let men at that day as the pain of the bodie the fear of death the sight of children for the which their fathers shal oftentimes think themselves often damned the weeping of the wise the flatterie of the world the temptation of the devil the dissimulation of physitions for lucre sake and the like And beleeve thou O man which readest this that thou shalt quickly proove al this tru upon thy selfe and therfore I beseech thee that thou wilt repent before thou come unto this last day dispose of thy house and make thy testament while thou art thine own man for if thou tary until the last day thou shalt be led whether thou wouldest not Hitherto are the Authors words 6 The second thing which shal make death terrible and greevous to a worldly man is the sudden parting and that for ever and ever from al the things which he loved most deerly in this life as from his riches possessions honours offices faire buildings with their commodities goodlie apparel with rich jewels from wife and children kindred and frinds and the like wherwith he thought himselfe a blessed man in this life and now to be plucked from them upon the sudden without ever hope to see or use them again oh what a greef what a torment wil this be For which cause the holie scripture saith O mors quam amara est memoria tua homini pacem habenti in substantijs suis O death how bitter is thy memorie unto a man that hath peace rest in his substance riches As who would say there is no more bitternes or greefe in the world to such a man than to remēber or think on death only but much more to go to it himselfe that out of hand when it shal be said unto him as Christ reporteth it was to the great wealthy man in the Gospel which had his barns ful and was come now to the highest top of felicitie Stulte hac nocte animam tuam repetent à te quae autem parasti cuius erunt Thou foole even this night they wil take thy soule from thee and then who shal have al that thou hast scraped together 7 It is unpossible I say for any toong to expresse the doleful state of a worldly man in this instant of death when nothing that ever he hath gathered togither with so much labor and toil and wherin he was woont to have so much confidence wil now do him good any longer but rather afflict him with the memorie therof considering that he must leave al to others and go himselfe to give account for the getting and using of the same perhaps to his eternal damnation whiles in the mean time other men in the world do live merilie and pleasantly upon that he hath gotten litle remembring and lesse caring for him which lieth perhaps burning in unquenchable fire for the riches left unto them This is a woful and lamentable point which is to bring manie a man to great sorrow and anguish of hart at the last day when al earthly joies must be left al pleasures and commodities for ever abandoned Oh what a doleful day of parting wil this be What wilt thou say my freend at this day when al thy glorie al thy wealth al thy pomp is come to an end What art thou the better now to have lived in credit with the world In favor of princes Exalted of men Feared reverenced and advanced seeing now al is ended and that thou canst use these things no more 8 But yet there is a third thing which more than al the rest wil make this day of death to be troublesom and miserable unto a worldlie man and that is the consideration what shal become of him both in bodie and soul. And for his bodie it wil be no smal horror to think that it must inherit serpents beasts worms as the scripture saith that is it must be cast out to serve for the food of vermins that bodie I mean which was so delicately handled before with varietie of meats pillows and beds of down so trimly set forth in apparel and other ornaments wherupon the wind might not blow nor the sun shine that bodie I saie of whose beutie there was so much pride taken and wherby so great vanitie and sin was committed that bodie which in this world was accustomed to al pampering and could abide no austeritie or discipline must now come to be abandoned of al men and left onlie to be devoured of worms Which thing albeit it can not but breed much horror in the hart of him that lieth a dieng yet is it nothing in respect of the dreadful cogitations which he shal have touching his soul as what shal become of it Whither it shal go after hir departure out of the bodie And then considering that it must go to the judgment seat of God there to receive sentence either of unspeakable glorie or insupportable pains he falleth to cōsider more in particular the danger therof by comparing Gods justice and threats set down in scripture against sinners with his own life he beginneth to examin the witnes which is his conscience and he findeth it readie to lay infinite accusations against him when he commeth to the place of justice 9 And now deer brother beginneth the miserie of this man For scantly there is not a severe saieng of God in al the scripture which commeth not now to his mind to terrifie him withal at this instant as If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements is a liar Manie shal saie unto me at that day Lord Lord c. Not the hearers of the law but the doers of the law shal be iustified Go from me al workers of iniquitie into everlasting fire De not you know that wicked men shal not possesse the kingdome of God Be not deceived for neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor unclean handlers of their own bodies nor Sodomites nor theeves nor covetous men nor dronkards nor bakbiters nor extortioners
shal ever possesse the kingdome of God If you live according to the flesh you shal die and the works of the flesh are manifest as fornication uncleannes wantonnes luxurie poisonings enmities contentions emulations hatred strife dissentions sects envie murder dronkenes gluttonie and the like Wherof I foretel you as I have told you before that they which do these things shal never attein to the kingdome of God We must al be presented before the iudgment seat of Christ every man receive particularly according as he hath done in this life good or evil every man shal receive according to his works God spared not the Angels when they sinned You shal give account of everie idle word at the day of iudgement If the iust shal scarce be saved where shal the wicked man and sinner appeer Few are saved and a rich man shal hardly enter into the kingdome of heaven 10 Al these things I say and a thousand mo touching the severitie of Gods justice and the account which shal be demanded at that day wil come into his mind that lieth a dieng and our ghostly enimie which in this life labored to keep these things from our eies therby the easier to draw us to sin wil now lay al more too before our face amplifieng and urging everie point to the uttermost alledging alwais our conscience for his witnes Which when the poore soul in dieng cannot denie it must needs terrifie hir greatly for so we see that it doth daily even many good vertuous men Saint Ierom reported of holie Saint Hilarion whose soul being greatly afeard upon these considerations to go out of the bodie after long conflict he took courage in the end and said to his soul Go out my soul go out why art thou afeard thou hast served Christ almost threescore and ten yeeres and art thou now afeard of death But if so good a man was so afeard at this passage yea such an one as had served God with al puritie of life and perfect zeale for threescore and ten yeeres togither what shal they be which scarce have served God truly one day in al their lives but rather have spent al their yeeres in sin and vanitie of the world Must not these men be needs in great extremitie at this passage 11 Now then deer Christian these things being so that is this passage of death being so terrible so dangerous and yet so unavoydable as it is seeing so many men perish and are overwhelmed daily in the same as it cannot be denied but there do and both holie scriptures and ancient fathers do testifie it by examples and records unto us what man of discretion would not learn to be wise by other mens dangers Or what reasonable creature would not take heed and look about him being warned so manifestly and apparantly of his own peril If thou be a Christian and dost beleeve indeed the things which Christian faith doth teach thee then dost thou know and most certainly beleeve also that of what state age strength dignitie or condition soever thou be now yet that thou thy selfe I say which now in health and mirth readest this and thinkest that it litle pertaineth to thee must one of these dais and it may be shortlie after the reading hereof come to prove al these things upon thy selfe which I have here written that is thou must with sorrow and greefe be inforced to thy bed and there after al thy struglings with the darts of death thou must yeeld thy bodie which thou lovest so much to the bait of worms and thy soul to the trial of justice for hir dooings in this life 12 Imagin then my frind thou I say which art so fresh and frolik at this day that the ten twentie or two yeeres or it may be two moneths which thou hast yet to live were now ended and that thou were even at this present stretched out upon a bed wearied and worn with dolor and pain thy carnal frinds about thee weeping and howling the phisitions departed with their fees as having given thee over and thou lieng there alone mute and dum in most pitiful agonie expecting from moment to moment the last stroke of death to be given thee Tel me in this instant what would al the pleasures and commodities of this world do thee good What comfort would it be to thee to have beene of honor in this world to have beene rich and purchased much to have born office been in the princes favor To have left thy children or kindred wealthy to have troden down thine enimies to have sturred much and born great sway in this life What ease I say or comfort would it be to thee to have been fair to have been gallant in apparel goodly in personage glittering in gold Would not al these things rather afflict than profit thee at this instant For now shouldest thou see the vanitie of these trifles now would thy hart begin to say within thee O follie and miserable blindnes of mine Lo here is an end now of al my delites prosperities al my joies al my pleasures al my mirth al my pastimes are now finished where are my frinds which were woont to laugh with me My servants woont to attend me my children woont to disport me Where are al my coches and horses wherwith I was woont to make so goodlie a shew the caps and knees of people woont to honor me the troups of suters following me Where are al my daliances and triks of love al my pleasant musik al my gorgeous buildings al my costly feasts and banquetings And above al other where are my deer and sweet frinds who seemed they would never have forsaken me But al are now gone and have left me here alone to answer the rekoning for al and none of them wil do so much as to go with me to judgement or to speak one word in my behalfe 13 Wo worth to me that I had not foreseen this day sooner and so have made better provision for the same it is now too late and I fear me I have purchased eternal damnation for a litle pleasure and lost unspeakable glorie for a floting vanitie Oh how happie and twise happie are they which so live as they may not be afeard of this day I now see the difference betwixt the ends of good evil and marvel not though the scriptures say of the one The death of saincts is precious And of the other The death of sinners is miserable Oh that I had lived so vertuously as some other have done or as I had often inspirations from God to do or that I had done the good deeds I might have done how sweet and comfortable would they be to me now in this my last and extreemest distres 14 To these cogitations and speeches deer brother shal thy hart be inforced of what estate soever thou be at the hour of death if thou do not
prevent it now by amendment of life which only can yeeld thee comfort in that sorrowful day For of good men the judge him selfe saith His autem fieri incipientibus respicite levate capita vestra quoniam appropinquat redemptio vestra When these things begin to come upon other men do you lift up your heads for that your redemption commeth on from the labors and toils of this world And the holie prophet saith of the vertuous man which hath done good works in this life that he shal be at this time Beatus vir An happie man And he giveth the cause Quia in die mala liberabit eum dominus opem feret illi super lectum doloris eius For that God wil deliver him in this evil day and wil assist him upon the bed of his sorrow Which is ment no dowt of the bed of his last departure especially for that of al other beds this is the most sorrowful as I have shewed being nothing else but an heap of al sorrows togither especially to them which are drawn unto it before they are readie for the same as commonly al they are which defer their amendement from day to day and do not attend to live in such sort now as they shal wish they had done when they come to that last passage CHAP. IX Of the pains appointed for sin after this life AMongst al the means which GOD useth towards the children of men to moove them to this resolution wherof I intreat the strongest and most forcible to the common sort of men is the consideration of punishments prepared by him for rebellious sinners and transgressors of his commandements Wherfore he useth this consideration often as may appeer by al the prophets who do almost nothing else but threaten plaegs and destruction to offenders And this mean hath oft times prevailed more than any other that could be used by reason of the natural love which he bare towards our selves consequently the natural fear which we have of our own danger So we read that nothing could moove the Ninivites so much as the foretelling them of their imminent destruction And Saint Iohn Baptist although he came in a simple and contemptible maner yet preaching unto the people The terror of vengeance to come and that the ax was now put to the tres to cut down for the fire al those which repented not He mooved the verie publicans and soldiers to fear which otherwise are people of verie hard metal who came unto him upon this terrible embassage and asked what they should doo to avoid these punishments 2 After then that we have considered of death and of Gods severe judgement which insueth after death and wherin everie man hath to receave according to his works in this life as the scripture saith it followeth that we consider also of the punishments which are appointed for them that shal be found faultie in that account hereby at lestwise if no other consideration wil serve to induce christians to this resolution of serving God For as I have noted before if every man have naturally a love of himselfe desire to conserve his own ease then should he also have fear of peril wherby he is to fal into extreme calamitie This expresseth saint Bernard excellently according to his woont O man saith he if thou have left al shame which apperteineth to so noble a creature as thou art if thou feele no sorrow as carnal men do not yet lose not fear also which is found in verie beasts We use to load an asse and to wearie him out with labor he careth not bicause he is an asse but if thou wouldest thrust him into fire or fling him into a ditch he would avoid it as much as he could for that he loveth life and feareth death Fear thou then and be not more insensible than a beast fear death fear judgement fear hel This fear is called the beginning of wisdom and not shame or sorrow for that the spirit of fear is more mightie to resist sin than the spirit of shame or sorrow wherfore it is said Remember the end and thou shalt never sin That is remember the final punishments appointed for sin after this life Thus far Saint Bernard 3 First therfore to speak in general of the punishments reserved for the life to come if the scriptures did not declare in particular their greatnes unto us yet are there manie reasons to persuade us that they are most severe dolorous and intollerable For first as God is a God in al his works that is to say great woonderful and terrible so especiallie he sheweth the same in his punishments being called for that cause in scripture Deus iustitiae God of iustice As also Deus vltionum God of revenge Wherfore seeing al his other works are ful of majestie and exceeding our capacities we may likewise gather that his hand in punishment must be woonderful also God himselfe teacheth us to reason in this maner when he saith And wil ye not then fear me And wil ye not tremble before my face which have put the sand as a stop unto the sea and have given the water a commandement never to passe it no not when it is most trobled and the floods most outragious As who would say If I am woonderful and do passe your imagination in these works of the sea others which you see daily you have cause to fear me considering that my punishments are like to be correspondent to the same 4 Another conjecture of the great and severe justice of God may be the consideration of his infinite and unspeakable mercie the which as it is the very nature of God and without end or measure as his Godhead is so is also his justice And these two are the two arms as it were of God imbracing and kissing one the other as the scripture saith therfore as in a man of this world if we had the mesure of one arm we might easily conjecture of the other so seeing the woonderful examples daily of Gods infinite mercie towards them that repent we may imagin by the same his severe justice towards them whom he reserveth to punishment in the next life and whom for that cause he calleth in the scriptures Vasa furoris vessels of his furie or vessels to shew his furie upon 5 A third reason to persuade us of the greatnes of these punishments may be the marvelous patience and long suffering of God in this life as for example in that he suffereth divers men from one sin to another from one day to another from one yeere to another from one age to another to spend al I say in dishonor and dispite of his majestie adding offence to offence and refusing al persuasions allurements good inspirations or other means of frindship that his mercie can devise to offer for their amendement And what man in the world
loveth us and tendereth our case most mercifully 31 But yet heer is one thing to be noted in this matter and that is that Christ suffered the ship almost to be covered with waves as the Evangelist saith before he would awake therby to signifie that the measure of temptations is to be left only unto himselfe it is sufficient for us to rest upon the apostles words He is faithful and therfore he wil not suffer us to be tempted above our strength We may not examin or mistrust his doings we may not inquire why doth he this Or why suffereth he that Or how long wil he permit these evils to reign God is a great God in al his doings and when he sendeth tribulation he sendeth a great deal togither to the end he may shew his great power in delivering us and recompenseth it after with as great measure of comfort His temptations oftentimes do go very deep therby to try the very harts and reins of men He went far with Elias when he caused him to fly into a mountain and there most desirous of death to say They have killed al thy prophets O Lord and I am left alone and now they seeke to kil me also He went far with David when he made him cry out Why dost thou turn thy face away from me O Lord Why dost thou forget my povertie and tribulation And in another place again I said with my selfe in the excesse of my mind I am cast out from the face of thine eies O Lord. God went far with the apostles when he inforced one of them to write We wil not have you ignorant brethren of our tribulation in Asia wherin we were oppressed above al measure above al strength insomuch as it lothed us to live any longer But yet above al others he went furthest with his own deer Son when he constrained him to utter those pittiful most lamentable words upon the crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Who can now complain of any proofe or temptation whatsoever laid upon him seeing GOD would go so far with his own deer only Son 32 Heerof then insueth the third thing necessarie unto us in tribulation which is magnanimitie grounded upon a strong and invincible faith of Gods assistance and of our final deliverance how long soever he delay the matter and how terrible soever the storm do seem for the time This God requireth at our hands as may be seen by the example of the disciples who cried not We perish before the waves had covered the ship as Saint Mathew writeth and yet Christ said unto them Vbi est fides vestra Where is your faith Saint Peter also was not afeard until he was almost under water as the same Evangelist recordeth and yet Christ reprehended him saieng Thou man of little faith why diddest thou dowt What then must we do in this case deer brother Surely we must put on that mightie faith of valiant king David who upon the most assured trust he had of Gods assistance said In Deo meo transgrediar murū In the help of my God I wil go through the wal Of which invincible faith Saint Paul was also when he said Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat I can do al things in him that comforteth and strengtheneth me Nothing is unpossible nothing is too hard for me by his assistance We must be as the scripture saith Quasi Leo confidens absque terrore Like a bold and confident Lion which is without terror That is we must not be astonied at any tempest any tribulation any adversitie We must say with the prophet David experienced in these matters I wil not fear many thousands of people that should inviron or besiege me togither If I should walk amidst the shadow of death I wil not fear If whole armies should stand against me yet my hart should not tremble My hope is in God and therfore I wil not fear what man can do unto me God is my aider and I wil not fear what flesh can do unto me God is my helper and protector and therfore I wil despise and contemn mine enimies And another prophet in like sense Behold God is my savior and therfore wil I deal confidently and wil not fear These were the speeches of holie prophets of men that knew wel what they said and had often tasted of affliction themselves and therfore could say of their own experience how infallible Gods assistance is therin 33 To this supreme courage magnanimitie and Christian fortitude the scripture exhorteth us when it saith If the spirit of one that is in authoritie do rise against thee see thou yeeld not from thy place unto him And again another scripture saith Strive for iustice even to the losse of thy life and stand for equitie unto death it selfe and God shal overthrow thine enimies for thee And Christ himselfe yet more effectually recommendeth this matter in these words I say unto you my frinds be not afraid of them which kil the body and afterward have nothing else to do against you And S. Peter addeth further Neque conturbemini that is Do not only not fear them but which is lesse do not so much as be troubled for al that flesh and blood can do against you 34 Christ goeth further in the Apocalips and useth marvelous speeches to intise us to this fortitude For these are his words He that hath an eare to hear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches To him that shal conquer I wil give to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of my God This saith the first and the last he that was dead and now is alive I know thy tribulatition and thy povertie but thou art rich indeed and art blasphemed by those that say they are tru Israelites and are not but are rather the synagog of satan Fear nothing of that which you are to suffer behold the devil wil cause some of you to be thrust into prison to the end you may be tempted and you shal have tribulation for ten daies But be faithful unto death and I wil give thee a crown of life He that hath an eare to hear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches he that shal overcome shal not be hurt by the second death And he that shal overcome and keep my works unto the end I wil give unto him authoritie over nations even as I have received it from my father and I wil give him besides the morning star He that shal overcome shal be appareled in white garments and I wil not blot his name out of the booke of life but wil confesse his name before my father and before his angels Behold I come quikly hold fast that thou hast lest another man receive thy crown He that shal conquer I
Saint Iohn concupiscence of the flesh which conteineth al pleasures and carnal recreations as banketing laughing plaieng and the like wherwith our flesh is much delited in this world And albeit in this kind there is a certain measure to be allowed unto the godly for the convenient maintenance of their health as also in riches it is not to be reprehended yet that al these worldly solaces are not only vain but also dangerous in that excesse abundance as worldly men seek and use them appeereth plainly by these words of Christ Wo be unto you which now do laugh for you shal weep Wo be unto you that now live in fil sacietie for the time shal com when you shal suffer hunger And again in Saint Iohns Gospel speaking to his apostles and by them to al other he saith You shal weep and pule but the world shal reioice Making it a sign distinctive between the good and the bad that the one shal mourn in this life and the other rejoice and make themselves merie 28 The verie same doth Iob confirm both of the one and the other sort for of worldlings he saith That they solace themselves with al kind of musik and do passe over their daies in pleasure and in a verie moment do go down into hel But of the godly he saith in his own person That they sigh before they eat their bread And in another place That they fear al their works knowing that God spareth not him which offendeth The reason wherof the wise man yet further expresseth saieng That the works of good men are in the hands of God and no man knoweth by outward things whether love or hatred at Gods hands but al is kept uncertain for the time to come And old Tobias insinuateth yet another cause when he saith What ioy can I have or receive seeing I sit heer in darknes Speaking literally of his corporal blindnes but yet leaving it also to be understood of spiritual and internal darknes 29 These are then the causes beside external affliction which God often sendeth why the godly do live more sad and fearful in this life than wicked men do according to the counsel of Saint Paul and why also they sigh often and weep as Iob Christ do affirm for that they remember often the justice of God their own frailtie in sinning the secret judgement of Gods predestination uncertain to us the vale of miserie desolation wherin they live heer which made even the apostles to grone as Saint Paul saith though they had lesse cause therof than we In respect wherof we are willed to passe over this life in carefulnes watchfulnes fear and trembling and in respect wherof also the wise man saith It is better to go to the house of sorrow than to the house of feasting And again Where sadnes is there is the hart of wise men but where mirth is there is the hart of fools Finally in respect of this the scripture saith Beatus homo qui semper est pavidus Happie is the man which alwais is fearful Which is nothing els but that which the holie Ghost commandeth everie man by Micheas the prophet Sollicitum ambulare cum Deo To walk careful and diligent with God thinking upon his commandements how we keep and observe the same how we resist and mortifie our members upon earth and the like Which cogitations if they might have place with us would cut off a great deal of those worldly pastimes wherwith the carelesse sort of sinners are overwhelmed I mean of those good fellowships of eatings drinkings laughings singings disputings and other such vanities that distract us most 30 Heerof Christ gave us a most notable advertisement in that he wept often as at his nativitie at the resuscitation of Lazarus upon Ierusalem and upon the crosse But he is never read to have laught in al his life Heerof also is our own nativitie and death a signification which being both in Gods hands are appointed unto us with sorrow and greefe as we see But the middle part therof that is our life being left in our own hands by Gods appointment we passe it over with vain delites never thinking whence we came nor whither we go 31 A wise traveler passing by his In though he see pleasant meats offered him yet he forbeareth upon consideration of the price and the journey he hath to make and taketh in nothing but so much as he knoweth wel how to discharge the next morning at his departure but a fool laieth hands on every delicate bait that is presented to his sight and plaieth the prince for a night or two But when it commeth to the rekoning he wisheth that he had lived only with bread and drink rather than to be so troubled as he is for the paiment The custome of many churches yet is to fast the even of every feast and then to make merrie the next day that is upon the festival day it selfe which may represent unto us the abstinent life of good men in this world and the mirth that they have in the world to come But the fashion of the world is contrarie that is to eat and drink merrily first at the tavern and after to let the host bring in his rekoning They eat drink and laugh and the host scoreth up al in the mean space And when the time commeth that they must pay many an hart is sad that was pleasant before 32 This the scripture affirmeth also of the pleasures of this world Risus dolore miscebitur extrema gaudij luctus occupat Laughter shal be mingled with sorrow and mourning shal insu at the hinder end of mirth The devil that plaieth the host in this world and wil serve you with what delite or pleasure you desire writeth up al in his book and at the day of your departure that is at your death wil he bring the whole rekoning and charge you with it al and then shal follow that which GOD promiseth to worldlings by the prophet Amos Your mirth shal be turned into mourning and lamentation Yea and more than this if you be not able to discharge the rekoning you may chance to hear that other dreadful sentence of Christ in the Apocalips Quantum in delicijs fuit tantum date illi tormentum Look how much he hath been in his delites so much torment do you lay upon him 33 Wherfore to conclude this point and therwithal this first part touching vanities truly may we say with the prophet David of a worldly minded man Vniversa vanitas omnis homo vivens The life of such men containeth al kind of vanitie That is vanitie in ambition vanitie in riches vanitie in pleasures vanitie in al things which they most esteem And therfore I may wel end with the words of God by the prophet Esay Vae vobis qui trahitis iniquitatem in funiculis
gall and their clusters of grapes are most bitter their wine is the gall of dragons and the poison of cotatrices uncurable By which dreadful and lothsome comparisons he would give us to understand that the sweet pleasures of this world are indeed deceits and wil proove themselves one day most bitter and dangerous 44 The fourth point that we have to consider is how this word aerumna that is miserie and calamitie may be verified of the world and the felicitie therof Which thing though it may appeer sufficiently by that which hath been said before yet wil I for promise sake discusse it a little further in this place by some particulars And among many miseries which I might heer recount the first and one of the greatest is the brevitie and uncertaintie of al worldly prosperitie Oh how great a miserie is this unto a worldly man that would have his pleasures constant and perpetual O death how bitter is thy remembrance saith the wise man unto a man that hath peace in his riches We have seen many men advanced not endured two moneths in their prosperitie we have heard of divers married in great joy and have not lived six daies in their felicitie we have read of strange matters in this kind and we see with our eies no few examples daily What a greefe was it think you to Alexander the great that having subdued in twelve yeers the most part of al the world should be then inforced to die when he was most desirous to live and when he was to take most joy and comfort of his victories What a sorrow was it to the rich man in the Gospel to hear upon the sudden Hac nocte Even this night thou must die What a miserie wil this be to many worldlings when it commeth Who now build pallaces purchase lands heap up riches procure dignities make marriages join kindreds as though there were never an end of these matters What a doleful day wil this be to them I say when they must forgo al these things which they so much love When they must be turned off as princes mules are woont to be at the journeis end that is their treasure taken from them and their gauld backs only left unto themselves For as we see these mules of princes go al the day long loden with treasure and covered with fair cloths but at night shaken off into a sorrie stable much brused gauled with the carriage of those treasures so rich men that passe through this world loden with gold and silver and do gaul greatly their souls in cariage therof are despoiled of their burden at the day of death and are turned off with their wounded consciences to the lothsome stable of hel and damnation 45 Another miserie joined to the prosperitie of this world is the greevous counterpeaze of discontentments that everie worldly pleasure hath with it Run over everie pleasure in this life and see what sawce it hath adjoined Aske them that have had most proofe therof whether they remain contented or no The possession of riches is accompanied with so many fears and cares as hath been shewed the advancement of honors is subject to al miserable servitude that may be devised the plesure of the flesh though it be lawful and honest yet is it called by Saint Paul Tribulation of the flesh but if it be with sin ten thousand times more is it environed with al kind of miseries 46 Who can reckon up the calamities of our bodie So manie diseases so manie infirmities so many mischances so manie dangers Who can tel the passions of our mind that do afflict us now with anger now with sorow now with envie now with furie Who can recount the adversities and miseries that come by our goods Who can nūber the hurts and discontentations that daily insu upon us from our neighbors One calleth us into law for our goods another pursueth us for our life a third by slander impugneth our good name one afflicteth us by hatred another by envie another by flatterie another by deceit another by revenge another by false witnes another by open arms There are not so manie dais nor hours in our lives as there are miseries and contrarieties in the same And further than this the evil hath this prerogative above the good in our life that one defect only overwhelmeth and drowneth a great number of good things togither as if a man had al the felicities heaped togither which this world could yeeld and yet had but one tooth out of tune al the other pleasures would not make him merrie Heerof you have a cleere example in Aman cheefe counceller of king Assuerus who for that Mardocheus the Iew did not rise to him when he went by nor did honor him as other men did he said to his wife frinds that al his other felicities were nothing in respect of this one affliction 47 Ad now to this miserie of darknes and blindnes wherin worldly men live as in part I have touched before most fitly prefigured by the palpable darknes of Egypt wherin no man could see his neighbor no man could see his work no man could see his way such is the darknes wherin worldly men walk They have eies but they see not saith Christ that is though they have eies to see the matters of this world yet they are blind for that they see not the things they should see indeed The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light But that is only in matters of this world in matters of darknes not in matters of light wherof they are no children For that the carnal man understandeth not the things which are of God Walk over the world and you shal find men as sharp eied as egles in things of the earth but the same men as blind as beetles in matters of heaven Therof ensu those lamentable effects that we see daily of mans laws so carefully respected and Gods commandements so contemptuously rejected of earthly goods sought for and heavenly goods not thought upon of so much travel taken for the bodie and so little care used for the soul. Finally if you wil see in what great blindnes the world doth live remember that Saint Paul comming from a worlding to be a good Christian had scales taken from his eies by Ananias which covered his sight before when he was in his pride and ruff of the world 48 Beside al these miseries there is yet another miserie greater in some respect than the former that is the infinit number of temptations of snares of intisements in the world wherby men are drawn to perdition daily Athanasius writeth of Saint Anthonie the hermite that God revealed unto him one day the state of the world and he saw it al hanged ful of nets in every corner and divels sitting
The rich glutton might have escaped his torments and have made himselfe an happie man by help of worldlie wealth if he would and so might manie a thousand which now live and wil go to hel for the same Oh that men would take warning and be wise whiles they have time Saint Paul saith Deceive not your selves looke what a man soweth and that shal he reap What a plentiful harvest then might rich men provide themselves if they would which have such store of seed and so much ground offered them daily to sow it in Why do they not remember that sweet harvest song Come ye blessed of my father enter into the kingdome prepared for you for I was hungrie and you fed me I was thirstie and you gave me to drink I was naked and you appareled me Or if they do not care for this why do they not fear at least the blak Sanctus that must be chaunted to them for the contrarie Agite nunc divites plorate ululantes in miserijs vestris quae advenient vobis Go to now you rich men weep and howl in your miseries that shal come upon you 60 The holie father Iohn Damascen reporteth a parable of Barlaam the hermite to our purpose There was saith he a certain citie or common welth which used to choose themselves a king from among the poorest sort of the people and to advance him to great honor wealth and pleasures for a time but after a while when they were wearie of him their fashion was to rise against him and to despoile him of al his felicitie yea the very cloths of his bak and so to banish him naked into an iland of a far country where bringing nothing with him he should live in great miserie and be put to great slaverie for ever Which practise one king at a certain time considering by good advise for al the other though they knew that fashion yet through negligence and pleasures of their present felicitie cared not for it took resolute order with himselfe how to prevent this miserie which was by this means He saved every day great sums of money from his superfluities and idle expenses and so secretly made over before hand a great treasure unto that iland wherunto he was in danger daily to be sent And when the time came that indeed they deposed him from his kingdom and turned him away naked as they had done the other before he went to the iland with joy and confidence where his treasure lay and was received there with exceeding great triumph and placed presently in greater glory than ever he was before 61 This parable drawing somwhat neer to that which Christ put of the evil steward teacheth as much as at this present needs to be said in this point For the citie or common wealth is this present world which advanceth to authoritie poore men that is such as come naked into this life and upon the sudden when they look least for it doth it pul them down again turneth them naked into their graves and so sendeth them into another world where bringing no treasure with them they are like to find little favor and rather eternal miserie The wise king that prevented this calamitie is he which in this life according to the counsel of Christ doth seek to lay up treasure in heaven against the day of his deth when he must be banished hence naked as al the princes of that citie were At which time if their good deeds do follow them as God promiseth then shal they be happie men and placed in much more glorie than ever this world was able to give them But if they come without oil in their lamps then is there nothing for them to expect but Nescio vos I know not you And when they are known Ite maledicti in ignem eternum Go you accursed into fire everlasting CHAP. IIII. Of the fourth impediment which is too much presuming of the mercie of GOD. THere are a certain kind of people in the world who wil not take the pains to think of or to allege any of the said impediments before but have a shorter way for al and more plausible as it semeth to them and that is to lay the whole matter upon the bak of Christ himselfe and to answer what soever you can say against them with this only sentence God is merciful Of these men may Christ complain with the prophet saieng Supra dorsum meum fabricaverunt peccatores prolongaverunt iniquitatem Sinners have built upon my bak they have prolonged their iniquitie By which words we may account our selves charged that prolonging of iniquities in hope of Gods mercie is to build our sins on his bak But what followeth Wil God bear it No verily for the next words insuing are Dominus iustus concidet cervices peccatorum God is iust he wil cut in sunder the neks of sinners Heer are two cooling cards for the two warm imaginations before Mean you Sir to prolong your iniquitie for that God is merciful Remember also that he is just saith the prophet Are ye gotten up upon the bak of God to make your nest of sin there Take heed for he wil fetch you down again and break your nek downward except ye repent for that indeed there is no one thing which may be so injurious to God as to make him the foundation of our sinful life which lost his own life for the extinguishing of sin 2 But you wil say And is not God then merciful Yes truly deer brother he is most merciful and there is neither end nor measure of his mercie He is even mercie it selfe it is his nature and essence and he can no more leave to be merciful than he can leave to be God But yet as the prophet heer saith he is just also We must not so remember his mercie as we forget his justice Dulcis rectus Dominus Our Lord is sweet but yet upright and iust too saith David and in the same place Al the wais of the Lord are mercie truth Which words holie Barnard expounding in a certain sermon of his saith thus There be two feete of the Lord wherby he walketh his wais that is mercie and truth and God fasteneth both these feete upon the harts of them which turn unto him And every sinner that wil truly convert himselfe must lay hand fast on both these feet For if he should lay hands on mercie only letting passe truth and justice he would perish by presumption And on the other side if he shuld apprehend justice only without mercie he would perish by desperation To the end therfore that he may be saved he must humbly fal down and kisse both these feet that in respect of Gods justice he may retain fear and in respect of his mercie he may conceive hope And in another place Happie is that soul upon which our Lord Iesus
labor and travel unto feeble old age 10 But to let passe the folly of this deceit tel me good Christian what ingratitude and unrighteousnes is this towards God having received so many benefits from him alreadie and expecting so great a pay as the kingdome of heaven is after to appoint out notwithstanding the least and last and woorst part of thy life unto his service and that wherof thou art most uncertain whether it shal ever be or never or whether God wil accept it when it commeth He is accursed by the prophet which having whole and sound cattel doth offer unto God the lame or halting part therof How much more shalt thou be accursed that having so many dais of youth strength and vigor dost appoint unto Gods service only thy limping old age In the law it was forbidden under a most severe threat for any man to have two measures in his house for his neighbor one greater to his frind and another lesser for other men And yet thou art not ashamed to use two measures of thy life most unequal in prejudice of thy Lord and God wherby thou alottest to him a little short maimed and uncertain time and unto his enimie the greatest the fairest the surest part therof 11 O deer brother what reason is there why God should thus be used at thy hands What law justice or equitie is there that after thou hast served the world flesh and devil al thy youth and best dais in the end to come and clap thy old bones defiled and worn out with sin in the dish of God His enimies to have the best and he the leavings His enimies the wine and he the lees and dregs Dost thou not remember that he wil have the fat and best part offered to him Dost thou not think of the punishment of those which offered the woorst part of their substance to God Follow the counsel then of the holie Ghost if thou be wise which warneth thee in these words Be mindful of thy creator in the dais of thy youth before the time of affliction come on and before those yeers draw neer of which thou shalt say they please me not 12 How many hast thou seen cut off in the midst of their dais whiles they purposed in time to come to change their life How many have come to old age it selfe and yet then have felt lesse wil of amendement than before How many have driven off even unto the very hour of death and then lest of al have remembred their own state But have died as dum and senseles beasts according to the saieng of Saint Gregorie The sinner hath also this affliction laid upon him that when he cōmeth to die he forgetteth himselfe which in his life time did forget God O how many examples are there seen heerof daily How many worldly men that have lived in sensualitie how many great sinners that have passed their life in wickednes do end and die as if they went into some place insensible where no account no rekoning should be demanded they take such care in their testaments for flesh and blood and commodities of this world as if they should live stil or should have their part of these vanities when they are gone In truth to speak as the matter is they die as if there were no immortalitie of the soul and that in very deed is their inward persuasion 13 But suppose now that al this were not so and that a man might as easily commodiouslie yea and as surely also convert himselfe in old age as in youth and that the matter were also acceptable inough to God yet tel me what great time is their lost in this delay What great treasure of godlines is there omitted which might have been gotten by labor in Gods service If whiles the captain and other soldiers did enter a rich citie to take the spoil one soldier should say I wil stay and come in the next day after when al the spoil is gone would not you think him both a coward and also most unwise So it is that Christ our savior and al his good soldiers tooke the spoil of this life inriched themselves with their labors in time caried the same with them as bils of exchange to the bank of heaven and there received pay of eternal glorie And is it not great folly and perversenes in us to passe over this life in so fruitles affairs Now is the time of fight for the obteining of our crown now is the day of spoil to seise on our bootie now is the market to bie the kingdome of heaven now is the time of running to get the game and price now is the day of sowing to provide us corn for the harvest that commeth on If you omit this time there is no more crown no more booty no more kingdome no more price no more harvest to be looked for For as the scripture assureth us He that for sloth wil not sow in the winter shal beg in the summer and no man shal give unto him 14 But if this consideration of gain cannot moove thee gentle reader as in deed it ought to do being of such importance as it is and irrevocable when it is once past yet weigh with thy selfe what obligation and charge thou drawest on thee by everie day which thou deferrest thy conversion and livest in sin Thou makestech day knots which thou must once undo again thou heapest that togither which thou must once disperse again thou eatest and drinkest that hourly which thou must once vomit up again I mean if the best fal out unto thee that is if thou do repent in time and God do accept therof for otherwise wo be unto thee for that thou hoordest as S. Paul saith wrath and vengeance on thine own head but supposing that thou receive grace heerafter to repent which refusest it now yet I say thou hast to weepe for that thou laughest at now thou hast to be hartily sorie for that wherin thou delitest now thou hast to curse the day wherin thou ever gavest consent to sin or els thy repentance wil do thee no good This thou knowest now and this thou beleevest now or els thou art no Christian. How then art thou so mad as to offend God now both willingly deliberately of whom thou knowest that thou must once ask pardon with tears If thou think he wil pardon thee what ingratitude is it to offend so good a Lord If thou think he wil not pardon thee what folly can be more than to offend a prince without hope of pardon 15 Make thine account now as thou wilt if thou never do repent and change thy life then everie sin thou committest and every day that thou livest therin is increase of wrath and vengeance upon thee in hel as Saint Paul proveth If thou do by Gods mercie heerafter repent and turn for this is not in thy hands then must
should yeeld a reconing of so much time spent in singing so much in daunsing so much in courting and the like who would not laugh at his accounts But being further asked by his maister what time he bestowed on his marchandise which he sent him for if he should answer none at all nor that he ever thought or studied upon that matter who would not think him woorthie of all shame and punishment And surely with much more shame and confusion shall they stand at the day of judgment who being placed here to so great a busines as is the service of almightie God have notwithstanding neglected the same bestowing their studies labors and cogitations in the vain trifles of this world which is as much from the purpose as if men being placed in a course to run at a golden game of infinit price they should leave their mark and some step aside after flies or fethers in the aire and some other stand still gathering up the dung of the ground And how were these men woorthie trow you to receave so great a reward as was proposed to them 9 Wherfore deer Christian if thou be wise consider thy case while thou hast time follow the Apostles counsel examin thy own works wais deceave not thy self Yet maist thou have grace to reform thy self bicause the day time of life yet remaineth The dreadful night of death wil overtake thee shortly when there wil be no more time of reformation What wil al thy labour and toil in procuring of worldly wealth profit or comfort thee at that hour when it shal be said to thee as Christ said to thy like in the gospel when he was now come to the top of his worldly felicitie Thou foole this night shal they take away thy soul and then who shal have the things which thou hast gotten togither Beleeve me deer brother for I tel thee no untruth one hour bestowed in the service of God wil more comfort thee at that time than an hundred yeeres bestowed in advauncing thy selfe and thy house in the world And if thou mightest feele now the case wherin thy poore hart shal be then for omitting of this thing which it should most have thought upon thou wouldest take from thy sleepe and from thy meat also to recompence thy negligence for the time past The difference betwixt a wise man a foole is this that the one provideth for a mischeef while time serveth but the other when it is too late 10 Resolve thy self therfore good Christian while thou hast time Resolve thy self without delay to take in hand presently and to apply for the time to come the great and weightie busines for which thou wast sent hither which only in deed is weightie and of importance and al others are meere trifles and vanities but only so far forth as they concern this Beleeve not the world which for running awrie in this point is detested by thy saviour and every frend therof pronounced an enimy to him by his Apostle Say at length unto thy saviour I do cōfesse unto thee O Lord I do confesse can not deny that I have not hitherto attended to the thing for which I was created redeemed and placed here by thee I do see my errour I can not dissemble my greevous fault I do thank thee ten thowsand times that thou hast given me the grace to se it while I may yet by thy grace amend it which by thy holy grace I mean to do and without delay to alter my course beseeching thy divine majestie that as thou hast given me this light of understanding to see my danger and this good motion to reform the same so thou wilt continew towards me thy blessed assistance for performance of the same to thy honor and my souls health Amen CHAP. IIII. Of the end of man in particular and of two special things required at his hands in this life HAving spoken of the end of man in general in the former chapter shewed that it is to serve God it seemeth convenient for that the matter is of great and singular importance to treat somwhat more in particular wherin this service of God doth consist that therby a Christian may iudge of himself whether he perform the same or no and consequently whether he do the thing for which he was sent into this world 2 First therfore it is to be understood that the whole service which God requireth at a Christian mans hands in this life consisteth in two things the one to fly evil the other to do good And albeit these two things were required of us also before the coming of Christ as appeareth by Dauid whose cōmandement is general Decline from evil and do good and by Esay the prophet whose words are Leave to do perversly and learn to do wel Yet much more particularly and with far greater reason are they demaunded at the hands of Christian people who by the death and passion of their Redeemer do receave grace and force to be able in some measure to perform these two things which the law did not give albeit it commanded the same 3 But now we being redeemed by Christ receaving from him not only the renewing of the same cōmandement for the performance of these two things but also force and abilitie by his grace wherby we are made somwhat able to do the same we remain more bound therto in reason and dutie than before for that this was the fruit and effect of Christ his holy passion as Saint Peter saith That we being dead to sin should live vnto righteousnes Or as Saint Paul more plainly declareth the same when he saith The grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to al men instructing vs to this end that we renouncing al wickednes and worldly desires should live soberly iustly and godly in this world 4 These two things then are the service of God for which we were sent into this world the one to resist sin the other to folow good works In respect of the first we are called soldiers our life a warfare upon the earth for that as soldiers do alwais lie in wait to resist their enimies so ought we to resist sin and the temptations therof And in respect of the second we are called labourers stewards fermers and the like for that as these men attend diligently to their gain and increase of substance in this life so should we to good works to the glorie of God and benefit of others here in this life 5 These therfore are two special points which a Christian man should meditate upon two special exercises wherin he shuld be occupied two special legs wherupon he must walk in the service of God and finally two wings wherby he must flie and mount up unto a Christian life And whosoever wanteth either of these though he had the other yet can he not ascend to any tru
and examine his own works And so be able to judge of himselfe in what case he standeth and if upon this examination he find himselfe awry to thank God of so great a benefit as is the revealing of his danger whiles yet there is time and place to amend No dowt many perish daily by Gods justice in their own grosse ignorance who if they had receaved this special favor as to see the pit before they fel in it may be they would have escaped the same Vse Gods mercie to thy gain then gentle brother and not to thy further damnation If thou see by this examination that hitherto thou hast not led a tru Christian life resolve thy self to begin now and cast not away wilfully that pretious soul of thine which Christ hath bought so deerly and which he is most readie to save and to indu with grace and eternal glorie if thou wouldest yeeld the same into his hands and be content to direct thy life according to his most holy easie and sweet commandements CHAP. V. Of the severe account that we must yeeld to God of the matters aforesaid AMongst other points of a prudent servant this is to be esteemed on principal to consider in everie thing committed to his charge what account shal be demanded touching the same also what maner of man his maister is whether gentle or rigorous milde or stern carelesse or exquisite in his accounts also whether he be of abilitie to punish him at his pleasure finding him faultie and finally how he hath dealt with others before in like matters for according to these circumstances if he be wise he wil govern himselfe and use more or lesse diligence in the charge committed 2 The like wisdome would I counsel a Christian to use in the matters before recited to wit touching our end for which God sent us hither the two principal points therof enjoined for our exercise in this life to consider I say what account we shal be demanded for the same in what maner by whom with what severitie with what danger of punishment if we be found negligent and rechlesse therin 3 For better understanding wherof it is to be noted first with what order and with what ceremonies and circumstances God gave us this charge or rather made and proclaimed this law of our behaviour and service towards him For albeit he gave the same commandement to Adam in his first creation and imprinted it afterwards by nature into the harts of ech man before it was written as Saint Paul testifieth yet for more plain declarations sake and to convince us the more of our wickednes as the same Apostle noteth he published the same law in writing tables upon the mount Synay but with such terror and other circumstances of majestie as also the Apostle noteth to the Hebrues as may greatly astonish the breakers therof Let any man read the nineteene chapter of Exodus there he shal see what a preparation there was for the publishing of this law First God calleth Moises up to the hil and there reckoneth up many of the benefits which he had bestowed upon the people of Israel and promiseth them many mo if they would keepe the law which he was then to give them Moises went to the people and returned answer again that they would keepe it Then caused God the people to be sanctified against the third day to wash al their garments and that no man should companie with his wife also to be charged that none upon pain of death should presume to mount up to the hil but Moises alone and that whosoever should dare but to touch the hil should presently be stoned to death When the third day was come the Angels as Saint Steeven interpreteth it were readie to promulgate the law The trumpets sounded mightilie in the aire great thunder brake out from the sky with fearce lightenings horrible clouds thick mists and terrible smoke rising from the mountain And in the midst of al this majestie and dreadful terror God spake in the hearing of al I am thy Lord God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt me only shalt thou serve and the rest which foloweth conteining a perfect description of our dutie in this life cōmonly called the ten commandements of God 4 Al which terror and majestie the apostle himselfe as I have said applieth to this meaning that we should greatly tremble to break this law delivered us with such circumstances of dread and fear signifieng also hereby that the exaction of this law must needs be with greater terror at the day of iudgment seeing that the publication therof was with such astonishment and dread For so we see alwais great princes laws to be executed upon the offenders with much more terror than they were proclaimed And this may be a forcible reason to move a Christian to looke unto his dutie 5 Secondly if we consider the sharp execution used by God upon offenders of this law both before it was written and since we shal find great cause of fear also as the wonderful punishment upon Adam so many millions of people besides for his one fault the drowning of al the world togither the burning of Sodom and Gomorra with brimstone the reprobation of Saul the extreame chastisement of David and the like Which al being done by God with such rigor for lesse and fewer sins than ours are and also upon them whom he had more cause to spare than he hath to tollerate us may be admonishments what we must looke for at Gods hands for breach of this law of serving him in this life 6 Thirdly if we consider the speeches and behaviour of our Lord and maister Christ in this matter we shal have yet more occasion to dowt our owne case who albeit he came now to redeeme us and to pardon al in al mildnes humilitie clemencie and mercie yet in this point of taking accounts he is not woont to shew but austeritie and great rigor not onlie in words and familiar speeches with his Apostles but also in examples and parables to this purpose For so in one parable he damneth that poore servant to hel where should be weping and gnashing of teeth only for that he had not augmented his talent delivered him And Christ confesseth there of himselfe that he is a hard man reaping where he sowed not and gathering where he cast not abroad expecting also advantage at our hands for the talents lent us and not accepting onlie his own again And consequently threatning much more rigor to them which shal mispend his talents as the most of us do Again he damneth the servant whom he found asleepe he damned the poore man which was compelled to come into the wedding onlie for that he came without a wedding garment he damned the five foolish virgins for that they had not their oile with them
the king being offended highly with you both should notwithstanding pardon thee and put the noble man to death and further also being no other way to save thy life shuld lay the pains of death du to thee upon his onlie son and heir for thy sake how much wouldest thou think that this king loved thee How greatly wouldest thou esteeme thy selfe beholding and bounden to that yong prince which should offer himselfe to his fathers justice to die for thee a poore worm and not for the noble man as he would not die for the Angels and to put his head in the halter for thine onlie offences Couldest thou ever have the hart to become enimie to this man after or willingly and wittingly to offend him And yet such is our case and much more bounden towards Christ and his father whom the most of us notwithstanding do daily offend dishonor and injurie by sin 12 But yet there follow on mo benefits of God unto us as our vocation and justification vocation wherby he hath called us from infidelitie to the state of Christians and therby made us partakers of this our redemption which infidels are not For albeit he paid the ransom for al in general yet he hath not imparted the benefit therof to al but to such only as best it pleased his divine goodnes to bestow it upon After which followed our justification wherby we were not only set free from al our sins committed before and from al pain and punishment du to the same but also our souls beutified and inriched with his holie grace accompanied with the vertues theological as faith hope and charitie and with the gifts of the holie Ghost and by this grace we are made just and righteous in the sight of God and intitled to the most blessed inheritance of the kingdome of heaven 13 After these do insu a great number of benefits togither as to us being now made the children and deer frinds of God and everie one of them of infinite price and valu As the gift of the holie sacraments left for our comfort and preservation being nothing else but conduits to convey Gods grace unto us especially these two which appertain to al to wit the sacrament of Baptism and of his blessed bodie and blood wherof the first is to purge our souls from sin the second to feed and comfort the same after she is purged The first is a bath made of Christ his own blood to wash and bath our wounds therin the second as a most comfortable and rich garment to cover our soul withal after she is washed In the first Christ hath substituted in his place his spouse the church to pronounce in his name remission of sins in the second he hath left himselfe and his own flesh and blood Sacramentally to be a precious food to cherish hir withal 14 Besides al these there is yet another gift named our preservation wherby God hath preserved us from so many dangers into which others have fallen and wherin we had fallen also if Gods holie hand had not staied us as from superstition heresie and infidelitie and many other greevous sins and especially from death and damnation which long ago by our wickednes we deserved to have beene executed upon us Also there are the benefits of godlie inspirations and admonitions wherby God hath often both knocked inwardly at the doore of our conscience and warned us outwardly by so many wais and meanes as are good books good sermons good exhortations good companie good example of others and a hundred means else which he at divers times hath and doth use therby to gain us our souls unto his eternal kingdome by stirring us to abandon vitious life and to betake our selves to his holie and sweet service 15 Al which rare and singular benefits being measured either according to the valu of themselves or according to the love of that hart from which they do proceed ought to move us most vehemently to gratitude towards the giver which gratitude should be to resolve our selves at length to serve him unfainedly and to prefer his favor before al worldly or mortal respects whatsoever Or if we can not obtain so much of our selves yet at leastwise not to offend him any more by our sins and wickednes 16 There is not so fearce or cruel a nature in the world as I noted before but is mollified allured and woon by benefits and stories do make report of strange examples in this kind even among brute beasts as of the gratitude of lions dogs and the like towards their maisters and benefactors Only an obstinate sinner is he among al the savage creatures that are whom neither benefits can move nor curtesies can mollifie nor promises can allure nor gifts can gain to the faithful service of God his Lord and maister 17 The greatest sinner that is in the world if he give his servant but twentie nobles a yeere or his tenant some litle farm to liue upon and if for this they serve him not at a bek he crieth out of their ingratitude and if they should further maliciously seek to offend him and to joine with his professed enimie against him how intollerable a matter would it seem in his sight And yet he himself dealing much more ingratefully and injuriously with God thinketh it a matter of no consideration but easily pardonable I say he dealeth more ingratefully with God for that he hath receaved a thousand for one in respect of al the benefits that a mortal man can give to another for he hath receaved al in al from God the bread which he eateth the ground which he treadeth the light which he beholdeth togither with his eies to see the sun and finally whatsoever is within or without his body as also the mind with the spiritual gifts therof wherof ech one is more woorth than a thousand bodies I say also that he dealeth more injuriously with God for that notwithstanding al these benefits he serveth Gods open enimie the devil and committeth daily sin and wickednes which God hateth more than any hart created can hate a mortal enimie being that in very deed which persecuted his Son our savior with such hostilitie as it tooke his most pretious life from him and nailed him fast to the wood of the crosse 18 Of this extreem ingratitude and injurie God himselfe is inforced to complain in divers places of the scripture as where we saith Retribuebant mihi mala pro bonis They returned me home evil for good And yet much more vehemently in another place he calleth the heavens to witnes of this iniquitie saieng Obstupescite coeli super haec O you heavens be you astonished at this As if he should say by a figurative kind of speech go out of your wits you heavens with marvel at this incredible iniquitie of man towards me For so he expoundeth the whole matter more at large
in another place Audite coeli auribus percipe terra Harken ye heavens and thou earth bend hither thine eares Filios enutrivi exaltavi ipsi autem spreuerunt me I have norished up children and have exalted them and now they contemn me What a pitiful complaint is this of God against most vile and base worms of the earth But yet God amplifieth this iniquitie more by certain examples and comparisons The oxe saith he knoweth his owner and the asse knoweth the manger of his Lord and maister but yet my people know not me wo be to the sinful nation to the people loden with iniquitie to this naughtie seed to wicked children What complaint can be more vehement than this What threatning can be more dreadful than this wo comming from the mouth of him which may punish us at his pleasure 19 Wherfore deer brother if thou have grace cease to be ungrateful to God any longer cease to offend him which hath by so manie wais prevented thee with benefits cease to render evil for good hatred for love contempt for his fatherly affection towards thee He hath done for thee al that he can he hath given thee al that thou art yea and in a certain maner al that he is woorth himselfe and meaneth besides to make thee partaker of al his glorie in the world to come and requireth no more for al this at thy hands but love and gratitude O deer brother why wilt thou not yeeld him this Why wilt thou not do as much to him as thou wouldest haue another man to do to thee for lesse than the ten thousand part of these benefits which thou hast receaved For I dare wel say that if thou hadst given a man but an almes at thy dore thou wouldest think him bound to love thee for it albeit thou hadst nothing in thee woorth love besides But now thy Lord besides these his gifts hath infinite causes to make thee love him that is al the causes which any thing in the world hath to purchase love and infinite more besides for if al the perfections of al things created in heaven and in earth which do procure love were put togither in one as al their beautie al their vertu al their nobilitie al their goodnes and the like yet thy Lord and Savior whom thou contemnest doth passe al this and that by many and infinite degrees for that he is not only al these things togither but also he is very beautie it selfe vertu it selfe wisdom it selfe sweetnes it selfe nobilitie it selfe goodnes it selfe and the very fountain and welspring where hence al these things are derived by litle peeces and parcels unto his creatures 20 Be ashamed then good Christian of this thy ingratitude to so great so good bountiful a Lord and resolve thy selfe for the time to come to amend thy course of life and behavior towards him Say with the prophet which had lesse cause to say so than thou Domine propitiare peccatomeo multum est enim O Lord pardon me mine offences for it is great in thy sight I know there is nothing O Lord which doth so much displease thee or dry up the fountain of thy mercy and so bindeth thy hands from dooing good as ingratitude in the receavers of thy benefits wherin hitherto I have exceeded al other but I have done it O Lord in mine ignorance not considering thy gifts unto me nor what account thou wouldest demaund again of the same But now seeing thou hast vouchsafed to make me woorthy of this grace also wherby to see and know mine own state and default I hope hereafter by direction of the same grace of thine to shew my selfe a better child towards thee O Lord I am overcome at the lenth with consideration of thy love and how can I have the hart to offend thee hereafter seeing thou hast prevented me so many wais with benefits even when I demanded not the same Can I have hands ever more to sin against thee which hast given up thine own most tender hands to be nailed on the crosse for my sins heretofore No no it is too great an injurie against thee O Lord and wo woorth me that have done it so often heretofore But by thy holy assistance I trust not to return to such iniquitie for the time to come to which O Lord I beseech thee for thy mercy sake from thy holie throne of heaven to say Amen CHAP. VIII Of what opinion and feeling we shal be touching these matters at the time of our death THe holie scriptures do teach us and experience maketh it plain that during the time of this life the commodities preferments and pleasures of the world do possesse so strongly the harts of manie men and do hold them chained with so forcible inchauntments being forsaken also upon their just deserts of the grace of God say and threaten what a man can bring against them al the whole scripture even from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Apocalips as indeed it is al against sin and sinners yet wil it prevail nothing with them being in that lamentable case as either they beleeve not or esteem not whatsoever is said to that purpose against their setled life and resolution to the contrary Of this we have infinite examples in scripture as of Sodom and Gomorra with the cities about which could not heare the warnings that good Lot gave unto them Also of Pharao whom al that ever Moises could do either by signes or saiengs mooved nothing Also of Iudas who by no faire means or threatnings used to him by his maister would change his wicked resolution But especially the prophets sent from God from time to time to dissuade the people from their naughtie life and consequently from the plaegs hanging over them do give abundant testimonie of this complaining everie where of the hardnes of sinners harts that would not be mooved with al the exhortations preachings promises and thunderings that they could use The prophet Zacharie shal testifie for al in this matter who saith of the people of Israel a litle before their destruction Hoc ait Dominus exercituum c. This saith the Lord of hosts iudge iustly And so foorth And presentlie he addeth And they would not attend but turning their baks went away stopped their ears to the end they might not heare and they did put their harts as an adamant stone to the end they might not heare the law and the words which God did send in his spirit by the hands of the former prophets wherby Gods great indignation was stirred up 2 This then is and alwais hath been the fashion of worldlings reprobate persons to harden their harts as an adamant stone against any thing that shal be told them for the amendement of their lives and for the saving of their souls Whiles they are in helth prosperitie they wil not know God As in
a man What honor was that he did to Esay in the sight of king Ezechias when he made the sun to go bak ten degrees in the heavens What honor was that he did to Helias in the sight of wicked Achab when he yeelded the heavens into his hands and permitted him to say that neither rain nor dew should fal upon the ground for certein yeres but by the words of his mouth onlie What honor was that he did to Elizeus in the sight of Naaman the noble Syrian whom he cured onlie by his word from the leprosie and his bones after his death raised by onlie touching the dead to life Finallie not to alledge mo examples herein what singular honor was that he gave to al the Apostles of his Son that as many as ever they laid hands on were healed from al infirmities as Saint Luke saith Nay which is yet more the verie girdles and napkins of Saint Paul did the same effect and yet more than that also as many as came within the onlie shadow of Saint Peter were healed from their diseases Is not this marveilous honor even in this life Was there ever monarch prince or potentate of the world which could vaunt of such points of honor And if Christ did this even in this world to his servants wherof notwithstanding he saith his kingdome was not what honor shal we think he hath reserved for the world to come where his kingdome shal be and where al his servants shal be crowned as kings with him 10 Another declaration yet of this matter is laid down by Divines for opening of the greatnes of this beatitude in heaven and that is the consideration of three places wherto man by his creation is appointed The first is his mothers womb the second this present world the third is Coelum Empireum which is the place of blisse in the life to come Now in these three places we must hold the proportion by al reason which we see sensiblie to be observed between the first two So that look in what proportion the second doth differ from the first in like measure must the third differ from the second or rather much more seeing that the whole earth put togither is by al Philosophie but as a prik or smal point in respect of the marveilous greatnes of the heavens By this proportion then we must say that as far as the whole world doth passe the womb of one private woman so much in al beautie delites and majestie doth the place of blisse passe al this whole world And as much as a man living in the world doth passe a child in his mothers bellie in strength of bodie beautie wit understanding learning and knowledge so much and far more doth a Saint in heaven passe men of this world in al these things and manie mo besides And as much horror as a man would have to turn into his mothers womb again so much would a glorified soul have to return into this world again The nine months also of life in the mothers womb are not so little in respect of mans life in the world as is the longest life upon earth in respect of the eternal in heaven Nor the blindnes ignorance other miseries of the child in his mothers womb are any way comparable to the blindnes ignorance and other miseries of this life in respect of the light cleer knowledge and other felicities of the life to come So that by this also some conjecture may be made of the matter which we have in hand 11 But yet to consider the thing more in particular it is to be noted that this glorie of heaven shal have two parts the one belonging to the soul the other belonging to the bodie That which belongeth to the soul consisteth in the vision of God as shal be shewed after that which belongeth to the bodie consisteth in the change and glorification of our flesh after the general resurrection that is wherby this corruptible bodie of ours shal put on incorruption as Saint Paul saith and of mortal become immortal Al this flesh I say of ours that now is so combersom and greeveth the mind that now is so infested with so many inconveniences subject to so many mutations vexed with so many diseases defiled with so many corruptions replenished with so infinite miseries and calamities shal then be made glorious and most perfect to endure for ever without mutation and to raign with the soul world without end For it shal be delivered from this lumpish hevines wherewith it is pestered in this life from al diseases likewise and pains of this life and from al trobles and incombrances belonging to the same as sin eating drinking sleeping and such like And it shal be set in a most florishing estate of health never deceaveable again So florishing that our Savior Christ saith that At that daie shal the iust shine as the sun in the kingdom of their father A marvelous saieng of Christ and in humane sense almost incredible that our putrified bodies should shine and become as cleer as the sun Wheras in the contrarie part the bodies of the damned shal be as blak and uglie as filth it selfe So likewise al the senses togither finding then their proper objects in much more excellencie than ever they could in this world as shal be shewed after even everie part sense member joint shal be replenished with singular comfort as the same shal be tormented in the damned I wil here alledge Anselmus his words for that they expresse lively this matter Al the glorified bodie saith he shal be filled with abundance of al kind of pleasure the eies the eares the nose the mouth the hands the throte the lungs the hart the stomak the bak the bones the marrow the entrals themselves and everie part therof shal be replenished with such unspeakable sweetnes and pleasure that truly it may be said that The whole man is made to drink of the river of Gods divine pleasures and made dronken with the abundance of Gods house Besides al which it hath perpetuitie wherby it is made sure now never to die or alter from his felicitie according to the saieng of scripture that The iust shal live for ever Which is one of the cheefest prerogatives of a glorified bodie for that by this al care and fear is taken away al danger of hurt and noiance remooved from us 12 But now to come to that point of this felicitie which pertaineth to the soul as the principal part it is to be understood that albeit there be many things that do concur in this felicitie for the accomplishment and perfection of happines yet the fountain of al is but one only thing called by divines Visio Dei beatifica The sight of God that maketh us happie Haec sola est summum bonum nostrum saith Saint Augustine This only sight of God is
without abatement al goodnes without any evil Where youth florisheth that never waxeth old life that knoweth no end beautie that never fadeth love that never cooleth health that never diminisheth joy that never ceaseth Where sorrow is never felt complaint is never heard matter of sadnes is never seen nor evil successe is overfeared For that they possesse thee O Lord which art the perfection of their felicitie 15 If we would enter into these considerations as this holie man and other his like did no dowt but we should more be inflamed with the love of this felicitie prepared for us than we are and consequently should strive more to gain it than we do And to the end thou maist conceive som more feeling in the matter gentle reader consider a little with me what a joiful day shal that be at thy house when having lived in the fear of God and atchived in his service the end of thy peregrination thou shalt come by the means of death to passe from miserie and labour to immortalitie and in that passage when other men begin to fear thou shalt lift up thy head in hope according as Christ promiseth for that the time of thy salvation commeth on Tel me what a day shal that be when thy soul stepping foorth of prison and conducted to the tabernacle of heaven shal be received there with the honorable companies and troups of that place With al those blessed spirits mentioned in scripture as principalities powers vertues dominations thrones Angels Archangels Cherubins and Seraphins also with the holie Apostles and disciples of Christ Patriarches Prophets Martyrs Innocents Confessors and Saints of God Al which shal triumph now at thy coronation and glorification What joy wil thy soul receive in that day when she shal be presented in the presence of al those states before the seat and majestie of the blessed Trinitie with recital and declaration of al thy good works and travels suffered for the love and service of God When there shal be laid down in that honorable consistorie al thy vertuous deeds al the labors that thou hast taken in thy calling al thy almes al thy praiers al thy fasting al thy innocencie of life al thy patience in injuries al thy constancie in adversities al thy temperance in meats al the vertues of thy whole life When al I say shal be recounted there al commended al rewarded shalt thou not see now the valure and profite of vertuous life Shalt thou not confesse that gainful and honorable is the service of God Shalt thou not now be glad and blesse the hour wherin first thou resolvest thy selfe to leave the service of the world to serve God Shalt thou not think thy selfe beholding to him or hir that persuaded thee unto it Yes verilie 16 But yet more than this when as being so neer thy passage heer thou shalt consider into what a port and haven of securitie thou art come and shalt look bak upon the dangers which thou hast passed and wherin other men are yet in hazard thy cause of joy shal greatly be increased For thou shalt see evidentlie how infinite times thou were to perish in that journey if God had not held his special hand over thee Thou shalt see the dangers wherin other men are the death damnation wherinto many of thy frinds and acquaintance have fallen the eternal pains of hel incurred by many that used to laugh and be merie with thee in the world Al which shal augment the felicitie of this thy blessed estate And now for thy selfe thou maist be secure thou art out of al danger for ever and ever There is no more need now of fear of watch of labor or of care Thou maist lay down al armor now better than the children of Israel might have done when they had gotten the land of promise For there is no more enimy to assail thee there is no more wilie serpent to beguile thee al is peace al is rest al is joy al is securitie Good Saint Paul hath no more need now to labor in the ministerie of the word neither yet to fast to watch or to punish his bodie Good old Ierom may now cease to afflict himselfe both night and day for the conquering of his spiritual enimie Thy onlie exercise must be now to rejoice to triumph to sing Halleluias to the lamb which hath brought thee to this felicitie and wil keep thee in the same world without end What a comfort wil it be to see that lamb sitting on his seat of state If the wise men of the east came so far off and so rejoiced to see him in the manger what wil it be to see him sitting in his glorie If Saint Iohn Baptist did leap at his presence in his mothers belly what shal his presence do in this his roial and eternal kingdome It passeth al other glorie that saints have in heaven saith Saint Austen to be admitted to the inestimable sight of Christ his face and to receive the beams of glorie from the brightnes of his majestie And if we were to suffer torments every day yea to tollerate the verie pains of hel for a time therby to gain the sight of Christ and to be joined in glorie to the number of his saints it were nothing in respect of the reward O that we made such account of this matter as this holy and learned man did we would not live as we do nor leese the same for such trifles as most men do 17 But to go forward yet further in this consideration imagin besides al this what a joy it shal be unto thy soul at that day to meet with al hir godly frinds in heaven with father with mother with brothers with sisters with wife with husband with maister with schollers with neighbors with familiars with kindred with acquaintance the welcoms the mirth the sweet imbracements that shal be there the joy wherof as noteth wel Saint Cyprian shal be unspeakable Ad to this the daily feasting and inestimable triumph which shal be there at the arrival of new brethren and sisters comming thither from time to time with the spoils of their enimies conquered and vanquished in this world O what a comfortable sight wil it be to see those seats of Angels fallen filled up again with men and women from day to day To see the crowns of glorie set upon their heads and that in varietie according to the varietie of their conquests One for martyrdom or confession against the persecutor another for chastitie against the flesh another for povertie or humilitie against the world another for many conquests togither against the divel There the glorious companie of Apostles saith holy Cyprian there the number of rejoising prophets there the innumerable multitude of martyrs shal receive the crowns of their deaths and sufferings There triumphing virgins which have overcom concupiscence with
considerations Saint Paul used when he said The sufferings of this life are not woorthy of the glorie which shal be revealed in the next The second Saint Peter used when he said Seeing the heavens must be dissolved and Christ come to iudgement to restore to every man according to his works what manner of men ought we to be in holie conversation As who would say No labor no pains no travel ought to seem hard or great unto us to the end we might avoid the terror of that day Saint Austen asketh this question what we think the rich glutton in hel would do if he were now in this life again Would he take pains or no Would he not bestir himselfe rather than turn into that place of torment again I might ad to this the infinite pains that Christ took for us the infinite benefits he hath bestowed upon us the infinite sins we have committed against him the infinite examples of saints that have troden his path before us in respect of al which we ought to make no bones at so little pains and labor if it were tru that Gods service were so travelsome as many do esteem it 3 But now in very deed the matter is nothing so and this is but a subtil deceit of the enimie for our discouragement The testimony of Christ himselfe is cleer in this point Iugum meum suave est onus meum leve My yoke is sweet and my burden light And the deerly beloved disciple Saint Iohn who had best cause to know his maisters secret herein saith plainly Mandata eius gravia non sunt His commandements are not greevous What is the cause then why so many men do conceive such a difficulty in this matter Surely one cause is beside the subtiltie of the devil which is the cheefest for that men feele the disease of concupiscence in their bodies but do not consider the strength of the medicine given us against the same They cry with Saint Paul that They find a law in their members repugning to the law of their mind which is the rebellion of concupiscence left in our flesh by original sin but they confesse not or consider not with the same Saint Paul That the grace of God by Iesus Christ shal deliver them from the same They remember not the comfortable saieng of Christ to Saint Paul in his greatest temptations Sufficit tibi gratia mea My grace is sufficient to strengthen thee against them al. These men do as Helizeus his disciple did who casting his eies only upon his enimies that is upon the huge armie of the Sirians ready to assault him thought himselfe lost and unpossible to stand in their sight until by the praiers of the holie prophet he was permitted from God to see the Angels that stood there present to fight on his side and then he wel perceived that his part was the stronger 4 So these men beholding only our miseries and infirmities of nature wherby daily tentations do rise against us do account the battel painful and the victory unpossible having not tasted indeed nor ever prooved through their own negligence the manifold helps of grace and spiritual succors which God alwais sendeth to them who are content for his sake to take this conflict in hand Saint Paul had wel tasted that aid which having rekoned up al the hardest matters that could be addeth Sed in his omnibus superamus propter eum qui dilexit nos But we overcome in al these combats by his assistance that loveth us And then falleth he to that woonderful protestation that neither death nor life nor Angels nor the like should separate him and al this upon the confidence of spiritual aid from Christ wherby he sticketh not to avouch That he could do al things David also had prooved the force of this assistance who said I did run the way of thy commandements when thou didst inlarge my hart This inlargement of hart was by spiritual consolation of internal unction wherby the hart drawn togither by anguish is opened and inlarged when grace is powred in even as a dry purse is softened and inlarged by annointing it with oil Which grace being present David said he did not only walk the way of Gods commandements easilie but that he ran them even as a cart wheel which crieth and complaineth under a smal burden being dry runneth merilie and without noise when a little oil is put unto it Which thing aptly expresseth our state and condition who without Gods help are able to do nothing but with the aid therof are able to do whatsoever he now requireth of us 5 And surely I would ask these men that imagin the way of Gods law to be so hard and ful of difficultie how the prophet could say I have taken pleasure O Lord in the way of thy commandements as in al the riches of the world And in another place That they were more pleasant and to be desired than gold or pretious stone and more sweeter than hony or the hony comb By which words he yeeldeth to vertuous life not only du estimation above al treasures in the world but also pleasure delite and sweetnes therby to confound al those that abandon and forsake the same upon idle pretensed and fained difficulties And if David could say thus much in the old law how much more justly may we say so now in the new when grace is given more abundantly as the scripture saith And thou poore Christian which deceivest thy selfe with this imagination tel me why came Christ into this world Why labored he and why took he so much pains here Why shed he his blood Why praied he to his father so often for thee Why appointed he the sacraments as conduits of grace Why sent he the holie Ghost into the world What signifieth this word Gospel or good tidings What meaneth the word grace and mercy brought with him What importeth the comfortable name of Iesus Is not al this to deliver us from sin From sin past I say by his only death From sin to come by the same death and by the assistance of his holie grace bestowed on us more abundantly than before by al these means Was not this one of the principal effects of Christ his comming as the prophet noted That craggy wais should be made straight and hard wais plain Was not this the cause why he indued his church with so many blessed gifts of the holie Ghost and with divers special graces to make the yoke of his service sweet the exercise of good life easie the walking in his commandements pleasant in such sort as men might now sing in tribulations have confidence in perils securitie in afflictions and assurance of victory in al temptations Is not this the beginning middle end of the Gospel Were not these the promises of the prophets the tidings of the Evangelists the
to God O Lord I am thy servant I am thy servant and the child of thy handmaid thou hast broken my bonds and I wil sacrifice to thee a sacrifice of praise This benefit also acknowledgeth Saint Paul when he saith that Our oldman was crucified to the end the bodie of sin might be destroied and we be no more in servitude to sin understanding by the old man and the bodie of sin our concupiscence mortified by the grace of Christ in the children of God 27 After this privilege of freedom followeth another of no lesse importance than this and that is a certain heavenly peace and tranquillitie of mind according to the saieng of the prophet Factus est in pace locus eius His place is made in peace And in another place Pax multa diligentibus legem tuam There is great peace to them which love thy law And on the contrarie side the prophet Esay repeateth this sentence often from God Non est pax impijs dicit Dominus The Lord saith There is no peace unto the wicked And another prophet saith of the same men Contrition and infelicitie is in their wais and they have not known the way of peace The reason of this difference hath been declared before in that which I have noted of the diversitie of good and evil men touching their passions For the vertuous having now by the aid of Christ his grace subdued the greatest force of their said passions do passe on their life most sweetly and calmly under the guide of his spirit without any perturbations that much troble them in the greatest occurrents of this life But the wicked men not having mortified the said passions are tossed and troubled with the same as with vehement and contrarie winds And therfore their state and condition is compared by Esay to a tempestuous sea that never is quiet and by Saint Iames to a citie or country where the inhabitants are at war and sedition among themselves And the causes heerof are two first for that the passions of concupiscence being many and almost infinit in number do lust after infinit things and are never satisfied but are like those blood-suckers which the wise man speaketh of that cry alwais Give give and never ho. As for example when is the ambitious man satisfied with honor Or the incontinent man with carnalitie Or the covetous man with money Never truly and therfore as that mother cannot but be greatly afflicted which should have many children crieng at once for meat she having no bread at al to break unto them so the wicked man being greedily called upon by almost infinit passions to yeeld them their desires must needs be vexed and pittifully tormented especially being not able to satisfie any one of their smalest demands 28 Another cause of vexation is for that these passions of disordinate concupiscence be oftentimes on contrary to the other do demand contrary things representing most lively the confusion of Babel where one tong spoke against another and that in divers and contrarie languages So we see oftentimes that the desire of honor saith Spend heer but the passion of avarice saith Hold thy hands Lecherie saith Venture heer but pride saith No it may turn to thy dishonor Anger saith Revenge thy selfe heer but ambition saith It is better to dissemble And finally heer is fulfilled that which the prophet saith Vidi iniquitatem contradictionem in civitate I have seen iniquitie and contradiction in the selfesame citie Iniquitie for that al the demands of these passions are most unjust in that they are against the word of God Contradiction for that one crieth against the other in their demands From al which miseries God hath delivered the just by giving them his Peace which passeth al understanding as the apostle saith and which the world can never give nor tast of as Christ himselfe affirmeth 29 And these many causes may be alledged now besides many others which I passe over to justifie Christs words that his yoke is sweet and easie to wit the assistance of grace the love of God the light of understanding from the holie Ghost the internal consolation of the mind the quiet of conscience the confidence therof proceeding the libertie of soul and bodie with the sweet rest of our spirits both towards God towards our neighbour and towards our selves By al which means helps privileges and singular benefits the vertuous are assisted above the wicked as hath been shewed and their way made easie light and pleasant To which also we may ad as the last but not the least comfort the expectation of reward that is of eternal glorie and felicitie to the vertuous and everlasting damnation unto the wicked O how great a matter is this to comfort the one if their life were painful in godlines and to afflict the other amidst al their great pleasure of sin The laborer when he thinketh on his good pay at night is incouraged to go thorough though it be painful to him Two that should passe togither towards their country the one to receive honor for the good service done abroad the other as prisoner to be arraigned of treasons committed in forrain dominions against his soveraign could not be like merrie in their In upon the way as it seemeth to me and though he that stood in danger should sing or make shew of courage and innocencie and set a good face upon the matter yet the other might wel think that his hart had many a cold pul within him as no dowt but al wicked men have when they think with themselves of the life to come If Ioseph Pharaos baker had known both their distinct lots in prison to wit that on such a day one should be called foorth to be made Lord of Egypt and the other to be hanged on a paire of gallows they could hardly have been equally merry whiles they lived togither in time of their imprisonment The like may be said and much more truly of vertuous and wicked men in this world For when the one doth but think upon the day of death which is to be the day of their deliverance from this prison their harts cannot but leap for very joy considering what is to insu unto them after But the other are afflicted and fal into melancholy as often as mention or remembrance of death is offred for that they are sure that it bringeth with it their bane according as the scripture saith The wicked man being dead there remaineth no more hope unto him 30 Wel then deer brethen if al these things be so what should stay thee now at length to make this resolution which I exhort thee unto Wilt thou yet say notwithstanding al this that the matter is hard and the way unpleasant Or wilt thou beleeve others that tel thee so though they know lesse of the matter than thy selfe Beleeve rather the word and
of God which said in his psalm Doth the seat of iniquitie cleave to thee O Lord which feignest a labor in thy commandements Is not this a feigned labor deer brethren in a commandement I mean a light burden an easie yoke an annointed crosse So in old time he said to Abraham Take thy son Isaac whom thou lovest and offer him unto me a sacrifice This was a feigned labor in a commandement for Isaac being offered he was not killed but sanctified therby Thou therfore if thou hear the voice of God within thy hart willing thee to offer up Isaac which signifieth joy or laughter fear not to obey it faithfullie and constantly whatsoever thy corrupt affection judgeth of the matter be thou secure Not Isaac but the ram shal die for it thy joy shal not perish but thy stubburnes only whose horns are intangled with thorns and cannot be in thee without the prickings of anxietie Thy Lord doth but tempt thee as he did Abraham to see what thou wilt do Isaac that is thy joy in this life shal not die as thou imaginest but shal live only he must be lifted up upon the wood to the end thy joy may be on high and that thou maist glorie not in thine own flesh but only in the crosse of thy Lord by whom thy selfe also art crucified crucified I say but crucified to the world for unto God thou livest stil and that much more than thou didst before CHAP. II. Of the second impediment which is persecution affliction and tribulation wherby many men are kept from the service of God MAnie there are in the world abroad who either upon these consideratiōs before laid down or for that they see some good men to live as merilie as themselves are content to yeeld thus much that in verie deed they esteem vertuous life to be pleasant inough to such as are once entered in therunto and that in good sooth for their own parts they could be content to follow the same if they might do it with quiet and peace of al hands But to request them unto it in such time or place or with such order and circumstances as tribulation affliction or persecution may fal upon them for the same they think it a matter unreasonable to be demanded and themselves verie excusable both before God and man for refusing it But this excuse is no better than the other going before of the pretended difficultie for that it standeth upon a false ground as also upon an unjust illation made upon that ground The ground is this that a man may live vertuously and serve God truly with al worldly ease and without any affliction tribulation or persecution which is false For that albeit external contradictions and persecutions be more in one time than in another more in this place than in that yet can there not be any time or place without some both external and internal Which although as I have shewed before in respect of the manifold helps and consolations sent from God in counterpoize of the same they seem not heavie nor unpleasant unto the godlie yet are they in themselves both great and waightie as would appeer if they fel upon the wicked and impatient Secondly the illation made upon this ground is unjust for that it alledgeth tribulation as a sufficient reason to abandon Gods service which God himselfe hath ordained for a mean to the contrarie effect that is to draw men therby unto his service For better declaration wherof the matter being of very great importance I wil handle in this chapter these four points First whither it be ordinarie for al that must be saved to suffer some kind of persecution tribulation or affliction Secondlie what are the causes why God so loving us as he doth would chose and appoint so to deale with us heer in this life Thirdlie what principal reasons of comfort a man may have in tribulation Fourthlie what is required at his hands in that state Which four points being declared I dowt not but great light shal appeer in this whole matter which seemeth to flesh and blood to be so ful of darknes and improbabilities 2 And touching the first there needeth little poofe for that Christ himselfe saith to his disciples and by them to al other his servants In mundo pressuram sustinebitis In the world you shal sustain affliction And in another place In your patience shal you possesse your souls That is by suffering patientlie in adversities which Saint Paul yet uttereth more plainly when he saith Al those that wil live godlie in Iesus Christ shal suffer persecution If al then none can be excepted And to signifie yet further the necessitie of this matter both Paul and Barnabas also did teach as Saint Luke reporteth That we of necessitie must enter into the kingdome of God by many tribulations Vsing the word Oportet which signifieth a certein necessitie And Christ himselfe yet more revealeth this secret when he saith to Saint Iohn the Evangelist That he chastiseth al those whom he loveth Which words the apostle as it were expounding to the Hebrews saith Flagellat omnem filium quem recipit He whippeth every child whom he receaveth And the apostle urgeth this matter so far in that place as he affirmeth plainly al those to be bastards no children of God which are not afflicted by him in this life The same position Saint Paul holdeth to Timothy Si sustinemus conregnabimus If we suffer with Christ we shal reign with Christ and no otherwise Wherin also concurreth holie David when he saith Multae tribulationes iustorum The iust are appointed to many tribulations 3 The same might be prooved by many other means as by that Christ saith He came not to bring peace but the sword into the world Also by that Saint Paul saith That no man can be crowned except he fight lawfullie But how can we fight if we have no enimie to oppugn us The same signifieth Christ in the Apocalips when he repeateth so often that heaven is only for him that conquereth The verie same is signified by the ship wherinto Christ entered with his disciples which was tossed tumbled as if it would have been drowned this I say by the ancient fathers exposition was a figure of the trobles and afflictions that al those should suffer which do rowe in the same with Christ our savior The same also is prooved by that the life of man is called a warfare upon earth and by that he is appointed to labor and travel while he is here also by that his life is replenished with many miseries even by the appointment of God after mans fal The same also is shewed by that that God hath appointed every man to passe through the pains of death before he come to joy also by the infinit contradictions and tribulations both within and without left unto man in this life
wil make him a piller in the temple of my God he shal never go foorth more and I wil write upon him the name of my God and the name of the citie of my God which is new Ierusalem He that shal conquer I wil give unto him to sit with me in my throne even as I have conquered and do sit with my father in his throne 35 Hitherto are the words of Christ to Saint Iohn And in the end of the same book after he had described the joies and glorie of heaven at large he concludeth thus And he that sat on the throne said to me Write these words for that they are most faithful and tru Qui vicerit possidebit haec ero illi Deus ille erit mihi filius timidis autem incredulis c. pars illorum erit in stagno ardenti igne sulphure quod est mors secunda He that shal conquer shal possese al the ioies that I have heer spoken of and I wil be his God and he shal be my son But they which shal be fearful to fight or incredulous of these things that I have said their portion shal be in the lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death 36 Heer now we see both allurements and threats good and evil life and death the joies of heaven and the burning lake proposed unto us We may stretch out our hands unto which we wil. If we fight and conquer as by Gods grace we may then are we to enjoy the promises laid down before If we shew our selves either unbeleeving in these promises or fearful to take the fight in hand being offered unto us then fal we into the danger of the contrarie threats even as Saint Iohn affirmeth in another place that certain noble men did among the Iewes who beleeved in Christ but yet durst not confesse him for fear of persecution 37 Heer then must insu another vertu in us most necessarie to al those that are to suffer tribulation and affliction and that is a strong and firm resolution to stand and go through what opposition or contradiction soever we find in the world either of fawning flatterie or persecuting crueltie This the scripture teacheth crieng unto us Esto firmus in via Domini Be firm and immooveable in the way of the Lord. And again State in fide viriliter agite Stand to your faith and play you the men And yet further Confide in Deo mane in loco tuo Trust in God and abide firm in thy place And finally Confortamini non dissolvantur manus vestrae Take courage unto you and let not your hands be dissolved from the work you have begun 38 This resolution had the three children Sidrach Misach and Abdenago when having heard the flattering speech and infinit threats of cruel Nabuchodonosor they answered with a quiet spirit O king we may not be careful to answer you to this long speech of yours For behold our God is able if he wil to deliver us from this fornace of fire which you threaten and from al that you can do otherwise against us But yet if it should not please him so to do yet you must know Sir king that we do not worship your gods nor yet adore your golden idol which you have set up 39 This resolution had Peter and Iohn who being so often brought before the councel and both commanded threatened and beaten to talk no more of Christ answered stil Obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus We must obey God rather than men The same had Saint Paul also when being requested with teares of the Christians in Caesarea that he would forbear to go to Ierusalem for that the holie Ghost had revealed to many the trobles which expected him there he answered What mean you to weep thus and to afflict my hart I am not only ready to be in bonds for Christs name in Ierusalem but also to suffer death for the same And in his Epistle to the Romans he yet further expresseth this resolution of his when he saith What then shal we say to these things If God be with us who wil be against us Who shal separate us from the love of Christ Shal tribulation Shal distresse Shal hunger Shal nakednes Shal peril Shal persecution Shal the sword I am certain that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor strength nor height nor depth nor any creature else shal be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. 40 Finally this was the resolution of al the holie martyrs and confessors and other servants of God wherby they have withstood the temptations of the devil the allurements of flesh and blood and al the persecutions of tyrants exacting things unlawful at their hands I wil alledge one example out of the second book of Maccabes and that before the comming of Christ but yet nigh unto the same and therfore no marvel as the fathers do note though it took some heat of Christian fervor and constancie towards martyrdome The example is woonderful for that in mans sight it was but for a smal matter required at their hands by the tyrants commandement that is only to eate a peece of swines flesh which then was forbidden For thus it is recorded in the book aforesaid 41 It came to passe that seven brethren were apprehended togither in those dais brought with their mother to the king Antiochus and there compelled with torments of whipping and other instruments to the eating of swines flesh against the law At what time one of them which was the eldest said What dost thou seeke Or what wilt thou learn out of us O king We are readie heer rather to die than to break the ancient laws of our God Wherat the king being greatly offended commanded the frieng pans and pots of brasse to be made burning hot which being readie he caused the first mans toong to be cut of with the tops of his fingers and toes as also with the skin of his head the mother and other brothers looking on and after that to be fried until he was dead Which being done the second brother was brought to torment and after his hair plukt off from his head togither with the skin they asked him whether he would yet eat swines flesh or no before he was put to the rest of his torments Wherto he answered No and therupon was after many torments slain with the other Who being dead the third was taken in hand and being willed to put foorth his toong he held it foorth quikly togither with both his hands to be cut off saieng confidently I received both toong and hands from heaven and now I despise them both for the law of God for that I hope to receive them al of him again And after they
had in this sort tormented and put to death six of the brethren every one most constantly protesting his faith and the joy he had to die for Gods cause there remained only the yongest whom Antiochus being ashamed that he could pervert never a one of the former endevored by al means possible to draw from his purpose by promising and swering that he should be a rich and happie man and one of his cheef frinds if he would yeeld But when the youth was nothing moved therwith Antiochus called to him the mother and exhorted hir to save hir sons life by persuading him to yeeld which she faining to do therby to have libertie to speak to hir son made a most vehement exhortation to him in the Hebrew toong to stand to it and to die for his conscience which speech being ended the youth cried out with a lowd voice and uttered this noble sentence woorthy to be remembred Quem sustinetis Non obtempero praecepto regis sed praecepto legis Whom do you stay for I do not obey the commandement of the king but the commandement of the law of God Wherupon both he and his mother were presently after many and sundry torments put to death 42 This then is the constant and immoveable resolution which a Christian man should have in al adversitie of this life Wherof Saint Ambrose saith thus Gratia preparandus est animus exercenda mens stabilienda ad constantiam vt nullis perturbari animus possit terroribus nullis frangi molestijs nullis supplicijs cedere Our mind is to be prepared with grace to be exercised and to be so established in constancie as it may not be troubled with any terrors broken with any adversities yeeld to any punishments or torments whatsoever 43 If you ask heer how a man may come to this resolution I answer that Saint Ambrose in the same place putteth two wais the one is to remember the endles and intollerable pains of hel if we do it not and the other is to think of the unspeakable glorie of heaven if we do it Wherto I wil ad the third which with a noble hart may prevail as much as either of them both and that is to consider what others have suffered before us especially Christ himselfe and that only of meer love and affection towards us We see that in this world loving subjects do glorie of nothing more than of their dangers or hurts taken in battel for their prince though he never took blow for them again What then would they do if their prince had been afflicted voluntarily for them as Christ hath been for us But if this great example of Christ seem unto thee too high for to imitate look uppon some of thy brethren before thee made of flesh blood as thou art see what they have suffered before they could enter into heaven think not thy selfe hardly delt withal if thou be called to suffer a litle also 44 Saint Paul writeth of al the apostles togither Even unto this hour we suffer hunger and thirst and lak of apparel we are beaten with mens fists we are vagabonds not having where to stay we labor work with our own hands we are cursed and we do blesse we are persecuted and we take it patiently we are blasphemed and we pray for them that blaspheme us we are made as it were the very outcasts and purgings of this world even unto this day that is though we be apostles though we have wrought so many miracles and converted so many millions of people yet even unto this day are we thus used And a little after describing yet further their lives he saith We shew our selves as the ministers of God in much patience in tribulations in necessities in distresses in beatings in imprisonments in seditions in labors in watches in fastings in chastitie in longanimitie in sweetnes of behavior And of himselfe in particular he saith In laboribus plurimis c. I am the minister of God in many labors in imprisonments more than the rest in beatings above measure and oftentimes in death it selfe Five times have I been beaten of the Iewes and at everie time had fortie lashes lacking on three times have I been whipt with rods once I was stoned three times have I suffered shipwrak a day and a night was I in the bottom of the sea oftentimes in journeies in dangers of fluds in dāgers of thevees in dangers of Iewes in dangers of gentils in dangers of the citie in dangers of wildernes in dangers of sea in dangers of false brethren in labor and travel in much watching in hunger and thirst in much fasting in cold and lak of cloths and beside al these external things the matters that daily do depend upon me for my universal care of al churches 45 By this we may see now whether the apostles taught us more by words than they shewed by example about the necessitie of suffering in this life Christ might have provided for them if he would at leastwise things necessarie to their bodies not have suffered them to come into these extremities of lacking cloths to their baks meat to their mouths and the like He that gave them authoritie to do so many other miracles might have suffered them at lest to have wrought sufficient maintenance for their bodies which should be the first miracle that worldly men would work if they had such authoritie Christ might have said to Peter when he sent him to take his tribute from out of the fishes mouth Take so much more as wil suffice your necessarie expences as you travel the country but he would not nor yet diminish the great afflictions which I have shewed before though he loved them as deerly as ever he loved his own soul. Al which was done as Saint Peter interpreteth to give us example what to follow what to look for what to desire what to comfort our selves withal in amidst the greatest of our tribulations 46 The apostle useth this as a principal consideration when he writeth thus to the Hebrews upon the recital of the sufferings of other saints before them Wherfore we also brethren having so great a multitude of witnesses that have suffered before us let us lay off al burdens of sin hanging upon us and let us run by patience unto the battel offered us fixing our eies upon the author of our faith and fulfiller of the same Iesus who putting the joies of heaven before his eies sustained patiently the crosse contemning the shame and confusion therof and therfore now sitteth at the right hand of the seat of God Think upon him I say which sustained such a contradiction against himselfe at the hands of sinners and be not wearie nor faint in courage For you have not yet resisted against sin unto blood and it seemeth you have forgotten that comfortable saieng which speaketh unto you as unto children My son do not contemn
feareth God neglecteth nothing he that feareth God wil turn and looke into his own hart he that feareth God wil do good works They which fear God wil not be incredulous to that which he saith but wil keep his wais and seek out the things that are pleasant unto him they wil prepare their harts and sanctifie their souls in his sight 21 This is the description of tru fear of God set down by the scripture This is the description of that fear which is so much commended and commanded in every part and parcel of Gods word of that fear I say which is called Fons vitae radix prudentiae corona plenitudo sapientiae gloria gloriatio beatum donum that is The fountain of life the roote of prudence the crown and fulnes of wisdome the glorie and gloriation of a Christian man a happie gift Of him that hath this fear the scripture saith Happy is the man which feareth the Lord for he wil place his mind upon his commandements And again The man that feareth God shal be happy at the last end and shal be blessed at the day of his death Finally of such as have this fear the scripture saith that God is their foundation God hath prepared great multitude of sweetnes for them God hath purchased them an inheritance God is as merciful to them as the father is merciful unto his children And to conclude Voluntatem timentium se faciet God wil do the wil of those that fear him with this fear 22 This holy fear had good Iob when he said to God I feared al my works And he yeeldeth the reason therof For I know that thou sparest not him that offendeth thee This fear lacked the other of whom the prophet saith The sinner hath exaspered God by saieng that God wil not take account of his dooings in the multitude of wrath Thy judgements O Lord are remooved from his sight And again Wherfore hath the man stirred up God against himself by saieng God wil not take account of my dooings It is a great wickednes no dowt a great exasperation of God against us to take the one halfe of Gods nature from him which is to make him merciful without justice to live so as though God would not take account of our life wheras he hath protested most earnestly the contrarie saieng that he is an hard and a sore man which wil not be content to receive his own again but also wil have usurie that he wil have a rekoning of al his goods lent us that he wil have fruit for al his labors bestowed upon us and finally that he wil have account for every word that we have spoken 23 Christ in the three score and eight psalm which in sundry places of the Gospel he interpreteth to be written of himselfe among other dreadful curses which he setteth down against the reprobate he hath these Let their eies be dazeled in such sort as they may not see powre out thy wrath my father upon them let the furie of thy vengeance take hand fast on them ad iniquitie upon their iniquitie and let him not enter into thy righteousnes let them be blotted out of the book of life and let them not be inrolled togither with the iust Heer lo we see that the greatest curse which God can lay upon us next before our blotting out of the booke of life it is to suffer us to be so blinded as to ad iniquitie upon iniquitie and not to enter into consideration of his justice For which cause also this cōfident kind of sinning upon hope of Gods mercie is accounted by divines for the first of the six greevous sins against the holie Ghost which our Savior in the gospel signifieth to be so hardly pardoned unto men by his father and the reason why they cal this a sin against the holie Ghost is for that it rejecteth wilfully one of the principal means left by the holie Ghost to retire us from sin which is the fear and respect of Gods justice upon sinners 24 Wherfore to conclude this matter of presumption me think we may use the same kind of argument touching the fear of Gods justice as Saint Paul useth to the Romans of the fear of Gods ministers which are temporal princes wouldest thou nor fear the power of a temporal prince saith he Do wel then and thou shalt not only not fear but also receive laud and praise therfore But if thou do evil then fear For he beareth not the sword without a cause In like sort may we say to those good felows which make God so merciful as no man ought to fear his justice Would ye not fear my brethren the justice of God in punishment Live vertuously then and you shal be as void of fear as lions are saith the wise man For that perfect charitie expelleth fear But if you live wickedly then have you cause to fear For God called not himselfe a just judge for nothing 25 If the matter had been so secure as many men by flatterie do persuade themselves it is Saint Peter would never have said unto Christians now baptised Walk you in fear during the time of this your earthly habitation Nor S. Paul to the same men Woork your own salvation in fear and trembling But heer some men wil ask how then doth the same apostle in another place say That God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of vertu love and sobrietie To which I answer That our spirit is not a spirit of servile fear that is to live in fear only for dread of punishment without love but a spirit of love joined with fear of children wherby they fear to offend their father not only in respect of his punishment but principally for his goodnes towards them benefits bestowed upon them This Saint Paul declareth plainly to the Romans putting the difference between servile fear and the fear of children You have not received again the spirit of servitude saith he in fear but the spirit of adoption of children wherby we cry to God Abba father He saith heer to the Romans you have not received again the spirit of servitude in fear for that their former spirit being gentils was only in servile fear for that they honored and adored their idols not for any love they bare unto them being so infinite as they were and such notable lewdnes reported of them I mean of Iupiter Mars Venus and the like but only for fear of hurt from them if they did not serve and adore the same 26 Saint Peter also in one sentence expoundeth al this matter For having said Timorem eorum ne timueritis Fear not their fear Meaning of the servile fear of wicked men he addeth presently Dominum autem Christum sanctificate in cordibus vestris cum modestia timore conscientiam
deceits which keepe bak from the same he runneth to this only refuge that is to persuade men that they defer a little and that in time to come they shal have better occasion and opportunitie to do it than presently they have 3 This Saint Austen prooved in his conversion as himselfe writeth For that after he was persuaded that no salvation could be unto him but by change amendement of his life yet the enimie held him for a time in delay saieng unto him Yet a little stay yet defer for a time therby as he saith to bind him more fast in the custome of sin until by the omnipotent power of Gods grace and his own most earnest endevor he brake violently from him crieng to God Why shal I longer say to-morrow to-morrow Why shal I not do it even at this instant And so he did even in his verie youth living afterward a most holie and severe Christian life 4 But if we wil discover yet further the greatnes and peril of this deceit let us consider the causes that may let our resolution and conversion at this present and we shal see them al increased and strengthened by delay and consequently the matter made more hard and difficult for the time to come than now it is For first as I have said the continuance of sin bringeth custome which once having gotten prescription upon us is so hard to remoove as by experience we proove daily in al habits that have taken roote within us Who can remoove for examples sake without great difficultie a long custome of droonkennes Of swearing Or of any other evil habit once setled upon us Secondly the longer we persist in our sinful life the more God plucketh his grace and assistance from us which is the only mean that maketh the way of vertu easie unto men Thirdly the power and kingdome of the divel is more established and confirmed in us by continuance and so the more harder to be remooved Fourthly the good inclination of our wil is more and more weakened and daunted by frequentation of sin though not extinguished Fiftly the faculties of our mind are more corrupted as the understanding is more darkened the wil more perverted the appetite more disordered Sixtly and lastly our inferior parts and passions are more stirred up and strengthened against the rule of reason and harder to be repressed by continuance of time than they were before 5 Wel then put al this togither my frind and consider indifferently within thy self whether it be more likely that thou shalt rather make this resolution heerafter than now Heerafter I say when by longer custome of sin the habit shal be more fastened in thee the divel more in possession upon thee Gods help further off from thee thy mind more infected thy judgment more weakened thy good desires extinguished thy passions confirmed thy bodie corrupted thy strength diminished and al thy whole Common-wealth more perverted 6 We see by experience that a ship which leaketh is more easily empited at the beginning than afterward We see that a ruinous pallace the longer it is let run the more charge and labor it wil require in the repairing We see that if a man drive in a nail with a hammer the mo blowes he giveth to it the more hard it is to pluk it out again How then thinkest thou to commit sin upon sin and by perseverance therin to find the redresse more easie hereafter than now That were much like as if a good fellow that having made to himselfe a great burden to carry should assay it on his bak and for that it sat uneasie and pressed him much should cast it down again and put a great deal more unto it and then begin to lift it again but when he felt it more heavie than before he should fal into a great rage and ad twise as much more to it therby to make it lighter For so do the children of the world who finding it somwhat unpleasant to resist one or two vices in the beginning do defer their conversion and do ad twentie or fortie mo unto them thinking to find the matter more easie afterward 7 Saint Austen expounding the miracle of our savior in raising Lazarus from death to life which had been dead now four dais as the evangelist saith examineth the cause why Christ wept and cried and troubled himselfe in spirit before the doing of his act wheras he raised others with greater facilitie and out of it giveth this lesson to us that as Lazarus was dead four dais and also buried so are there four degrees of a sinner the first in voluntary delectation of sin the second in consent the third in fulfilling it by work the fourth in continuance or custome therof wherin whosoever is once buried saith this holie father he is hardly raised to life again without a great miracle of God and many tears of his own part 8 The reason heerof is that which the wise man saith Languor prolixior gravat medicum An old siknes doth trouble the physition Brevem autem languorem praecidit medicus But the physition cutteth off quikly a new or fresh disease which hath indured but a litle time The very bones of an old wicked man shal be replenished with the vices of his youth saith Iob and they shal sleep with him in the dust when he goeth to the grave We read that Moises in part of punishment to the people that had sinned in adoring the golden calfe broke the same in peeces made them drink it So the vices wherin we delited during our youth are so dispersed by custom in our bodies bones that when old age doth come on we can not rid them at our pleasure without great difficultie and pain What folly then is it to defer our amendement unto our old age when we shal have more impediments and difficulties by a great deal then we have now 9 If it seem hard to thee to amend thy life now painfully to be occupied in thy calling and withal for thy better help to fast to pray and to take upon thee other exercises which the word of God prescribeth to sinners to their conversion how wilt thou do it in thine old age When thy bodie shal have more need of cherishing than of painful exercise If thou find it unpleasant to resist thy sins now and to root them out after the continuance of two three or four yeers what wil it be after twentie yeers more adjoined unto them How mad a man wouldest thou esteem him that traveling on the way and having great choise of lustie strong horses should let them al go emptie and lay al his carriage upon some one poore and lean beast that could scarse beare it selfe or much lesse stand under so many bags cast up on it And surely no lesse unreasonable is that man who passing over idlely the lusty dais and times of his life reserveth al the
thou one day lament and bewail and be hartily sorrie for this delay which now thou makest So that by how much the more thou prolongest and increasest thy sin so much greater wil be thy pain and sorrow in thine amendement Alto vulneri diligens longa adhibenda est medicina saith Saint Cyprian A diligent and long medicin is to be used to a deepe sore Our bodie that hath lived in many delites must be afflicted saith Saint Ierom our laughing must be recompensed with long weeping Finally Saint Ambrose agreeing therunto saith Grandi plagae alta prolixa opus est medicina Vnto a great wound a deepe and long medicin is needful 15 Mark heer deer brother that the labor of thine amendement must be very great and that it cannot be avoided What madnes is it then for thee now to inlarge the wound knowing that the medicin must afterwards be so painful What crueltie can be more against thy selfe than to drive in thorns into thine own flesh which thou must after pul out again with so many tears Wouldest thou drink that cup of poisoned liquor for a little pleasure in the tast which would cast thee soone after into a burning fever torment thy bowels within thee and either dispatch thy life or put thee in great jeoperdie 16 But heer I know thy refuge wil be as it is to al them wherof the prophet saith Mentita est iniquitas sibi Iniquitie hath flattered and lied unto hir selfe thy refuge I say wil be to alledge the example of the good theefe saved even at the last hour upon the crosse and carried to paradise that same day with Christ without any further toil of amendement This example is greatly noted and urged by al those which defer their conversion as surely it is and ought to be of great comfort to every man which findeth himselfe now at the last cast therfore commonly tempted by the enimie to despair of Gods mercie which in no case he ought to do For the same God which saved that great sinner at that last hour can also and wil save al them that hartily turn unto him even at the last hour But alas many men do flatter and deceive themselves with misunderstanding or rather misusing of this example 17 For we must understand as Saint Austen wel noteth that this was but one particular act of Christ which maketh no general rule even as we see that a temporal prince pardoneth somtime a malefactor when he is come to the very place of execution yet were it not for every malefactor to trust therupon For that this is but an extraordinarie act of the prince his favor and neither shewed nor promised to al men Besides this this act was a special miracle reserved for the manifestation of Christ his power and glorie at that hour upon the crosse Again this act was upon a most rare confession made by the theefe in that instant when al the world forsooke Christ and the apostles themselves either dowted or lost their faith of his Godhead Beside al this the confession of this theefe was at such a time as he could neither be baptised nor have further time of amendement And we hold that at a mans first conversion there is required nothing else but to beleeve and to be baptised But it shal not be amisse to put to Saint Austens very words upon this matter For thus he writeth 18 It is a remediles peril when a man giveth himself over so much to vices as he forgetteth that he must give account therof to God and the reason why I am of this opinion is for that it is a great punishment of sin to have lost the fear memorie of the judgment to come c. But deerly beloved left the new felicitie of the beleeving theefe on the crosse do make any of you too secure and remisse least peradventure some of you say in his hart my guiltie conscience shal not trouble nor torment me my naughtie life shal not make me very sad for that I see even in a moment al sin forgivē unto the theefe we must consider first in that theefe not only the shortnes of his beleefe and confession but his devotion and the occasion of that time even when the perfection of the just did stagger Secondlie shew me the faith of that theefe in thy selfe and then promise to thy self his felicitie The devil doth put into thy head this securitie to the end he may bring thee to perdition And it is unpossible to number al them which have perished by the shadow of this deceitful hope He deceiveth himselfe maketh but a jest of his own damnation which thinketh that Gods mercie at the last day shal help or releeve him It is hateful before God when a man upon confidence of repentance in his old age doth sin the more freely The happie theefe wherof we have spoken happie I say not for that he laid snares in the way but for that he tooke hold of the way it selfe in Christ laieng hands on the pray of life and after a strange maner making a bootie of his own death he I say neither did defer the time of his salvation wittingly neither did he deceitfully put the remedie of his state in the last moment of his life neither did he desperately reserve the hope of his redemption unto the hour of his death neither had he any knolege either of religion or of Christ before that time For if he had it may be he would not have been the last among the apostles in number which was made the former in kingdom 19 By these words of Saint Austen we are admonished as you see that this particular fact of Christ maketh no general rule of remission to al men not for that Christ is not alwais ready to receive the penitent as he promiseth but for that every man hath not the time or grace to repent as he should at that hour according as hath been declared before The general way that God proposeth to al is that which Saint Paul saith Finis secundum opera ipsorum The end of evil men is according to their works Look how they live so they dy To that effect saith the prophet Once God spake and I heard these two things from his mouth power belongeth to God and mercie unto thee O Lord for that thou wilt render to every man according to his works The wise man maketh this plain saieng The way of sinners is paved with stones and their end is hel darknes and punishments Finally Saint Paul maketh this general and peremptory conclusion Be not deceived God is not mocked looke what a man soweth and that shal he reape He that soweth in flesh shal reap corruption he that soweth in spirit shal reap life everlasting In which words he doth not only lay down unto us the general rule wherto we must trust but also saith further
wil promise it I say upon a condition that he might have life again upon condition that the day might be prolonged unto him though if God should grant him his request as many times he doth he would perform no one point therof but be as careles as he were before When such shal crie with sighs and grones as pearsing as a sword and yet shal not be heard what comfort then wil they hope for to find For whither wil they turn themselves in this distresse Vnto their worldly wealth power or riches Alas they are gone and the scripture saith Riches shal not profit in the day of revenge Wil they turn unto their carnal frinds But what comfort can they give besides onlie weeping and comfortles moorning Wil they ask help of the saints to praie for them in this instant Then must they remember what is written The saints shal reioice in glorie and exultation shal be in their mouthes and two edged swords in their hands to take revenge upon nations and increpations upon people to bind kings in fetters and noble men in manacles of iron to execute upon them the prescript iudgement of God and this is the glorie of al his saints Their onlie refuge then must be unto God who indeed is the only refuge of al but yet in this case the prophet saith heer that He shal not hear them but rather contemn and laugh at their miserie Not that he is contrarie to his promise of receiving a sinner At what time soever he repenteth and turneth from his sin But for that this turning at the last day is not commonly tru repentance and conversion for the causes before rehearsed 28 To conclude then this matter of delay what wise men is there in the world who reading this wil not fear the deferring of his conversion though it were but for one day Who doth know whether this shal be the last day or no that ever God wil cal him in God saith I called and you refused to come I held out my hand and you would not looke towards me and therfore wil I forsake you in your extremitie He doth not say how manie times or how long he did cal and hold out his hand God saith I stand at the doore and knok but he saith not how often he doth that or how manie knoks he giveth Again he said of wicked Iezabel the feined prophetesse in the Apocalyps I have given hir time to repent and she would not and therfore shal she perish but he saith not how long this time of repentance endureth We read of woonderful examples heerin Herod the father had a cal given him and that a lowd one when Iohn Baptist was sent unto him and when his hart was so far touched as he willingly heard him and so followed his counsel in manie things as one Evangelist noteth but yet bicause he deferred the matter and tooke not time when it was offered he was cast off again and his last dooings made woorse than his former Herod Tetrak the son had a cal also when he felt that desire to see Christ and some miracle done by him but for that he answered not unto the cal it did him no good but rather much hurt What a great knok had Pilate given him at his hart if he had been so gratious as to have opened the doore presently when he was made to understand the innocencie of Christ as appeereth by washing his hands in testimonie therof and his wife also sent him an admonition about the same No lesse knok had king Agrippa at his doore when he cried out at the hearing of Saint Paul O Paul thou persuadest me a little to be a Christian. But bicause he deferred the matter this motion passed away again 29 Twise happie had Pharao been if he had resolved himselfe presently upon that motion that he felt when he cried to Moises I have sinned and God is iust But by delay he became woorse than ever he was before Saint Luke reporteth how Felix the governor of Iewrie for the Romanes conferred secretly oftentimes with Saint Paul that was prisoner and heard of him the faith in Christ wherwith hee was greatly mooved especially at on time when Paul disputed of Gods justice and the day of judgement wherat Felix trembled but yet he deferred this resolution willing Paul to depart and to come again another time and so the matter by delation came to no effect How many men do perish daily some cut off by death some left by God and given over to a reprobate sense which might have found grace if they had not deferred their conversion from day to day but had made their resolution presently when they felt God to cal within their harts 30 God is most bountiful to knok and cal but yet he bindeth himselfe to no time or space but commeth and goeth at his pleasure and they which take not their times when they are offered are excuselesse before his justice and do not know whether ever it shal be offered them again or no for that this thing is only in the wil and knowlege of God alone who taketh mercie where it pleaseth him best and is bound to none And when the prefixed time of calling is once past wo be unto that partie for a thousand worlds wil not purchase it again Christ sheweth woonderfully the importance of this matter when entering into Ierusalem amidst al his mirth and glorie of receiving he could not chuse but weep upon that citie crieng out with tears O Ierusalem if thou knewest also these things which appertain to thy peace even in this thy day but now these things are hidden from thee As if he had said if thou knewest Ierusalem as wel as I do what mercie is offered thee even this day thou wouldest not do as thou doest but wouldest presently accept therof but now this secret judgement of my father is hidden from thee and therfore thou makest little account therof until thy destruction shal come suddenly upon thee as soone after it did 31 By this now may be considered the great reason of the wise mans exhortation For-slow not to turn to God nor do not defer it from day to day for his wrath wil come upon thee at the sudden and in time of revenge it wil destroy thee It may be seene also upon what great cause the Apostle exhorteth the Hebrews so vehementlie Dum cognominantur bodie To accept of grace even whiles that very day endured and not to let passe the occasion offered Which every man applieng to himselfe should follow in obeing the motions of Gods spirit within him and accepting of Gods vocation without delay considering what a greevous sin it is to resist the holie Ghost Every man ought I say when he feeleth a good motion in his hart to think with himselfe now God knocketh at my
so much as he Those with whom they have held hands so long togither are either the bishop of Rome or his frinds abroad for their advantage or else of their own countrimen at home that are grown to so great misliking of the praesent state If it be the bishop and his adhaerents it is but for their own advantage that they conceive that opinion of them so to make up their losses again by the help of them when opportunitie should serve them unto it And the more that their aestimation savoreth of it the more quietly may they be able to beare the losse therof If they be of our discontented countrimen at home the losse also is so much the lesse for that none such wil not mislike of them but so far as themselves are infected with the inchanted cup of forrain power and then the more they are infected therwith the lesse woorth is the best aestimation they are able to give Again whatsoever aestimation is lost either with forrain power abroad or with hollow harts at home the same wil be much more requited with the gratious favor of their natural princes and with the tru hart of faithful subjects and that so much the more in abundance of recompense as it is of greater price or valu to be wel thought on by natural princes and faithful subjects than of forren usurpers and close aides whersoever 10 The hardnes that they account themselves to be put unto to the utter aliening of their minds from us and our profession resteth especially in these two points first that divers of them are streightly handled then that certain points of their religion as they term it are now made treason They accoūt themselves to be streightly handled both in the fining of recusants and that certain of that profession are put to death Concerning both which they would not denie but that the punishment were moderate inough both in the one in the other if either they could finde that they were so heinous offenders as we do conceive and charge them to be or else but remember what dealings themselves have used to us and yet do upon lesse occasion As touching the former they wil not denie but that princes have authoritie by the word of God both to fine and to put to death as need requireth They know that such as worship any strange God or but intise others therto or stubbornly despise the word of God are by the sentence of Gods own mouth accounted woorthie to die the death and though it may be themselves do not see that by aequitie therof they are in the danger of his justice for those yet we are out of dowt that they are and but that we do alreadie know that the blindnes of man is very great we could not but woonder that they do not see it Nevertheles such is the mildnes of hir majestie and such is the peaceablenes of these dais of the Gospel so cold are we the most of us al on behalfe of the glorie God that none are executed for any of those though the selfe-same laws that they used against us be forcible against them and if need were might soone be inlarged So notwithstanding that which is done of that kinde we think there might be done much more than there is and yet that no bodie had any just cause to finde fault therwith That certain points of their religion are now made treason that so they cannot suffer as in cause of religion but of high treason it ought not to be so greevous unto them if they consider wel either the very nature of those points that are made treason or but the maner of our proceeding therin For some points of their profession are of the nature as that they are rank treason indeed to al the states that are in the world that have they proper unto themselves of al the religions that are professed on the face of the earth And this treason of theirs that we speak of resteth especially in these two points that the bishop of Rome hath power to depose the princes and potentates of the earth and to place in their roomes whomsoever he wil and that subjects ought not to remain in alleageance to any whom he deposeth but to put on armor against them Which we take to be as rank a treason as wicked an haeresie and as open a way to al confusion as any that ever was heard of before Neither doth it help them any thing if he were indeed as they would have it the vicar general of Christ on the earth for that therby he might do no more keeping within the bounds of his master but only lay their sin to their charge utterly exclude them from hope of salvation princes if they governed il and subjects likewise if they went with their princes against their obedience and dutie to God But as for deposing the one or loosing the other from their alleageance in those points we are sure that they are not only misliked of us but of many others besides that other wais are wel willers of theirs In the maner of proceeding that in this point is used against them there are two points likewise to be noted For first as touching the law it selfe it is in effect but certain ancient statutes that were made long since revived again and not sought unto til that by many naughtie practises and some rebellions open forces and slaughters contrived we were of necessitie rather constrained than easilie induced to take that order and that for the praeservation of the whole both in religion and civile tranquillitie Then also it is very wel known that although they have been never so faultie therin and so have justly deserved to die yet if they can be sorrie for their practising and utterly renounce and abandon the same they stand not in such danger of death by their former demerits as in the hope and way of life by their new repentance if it appeer to be unfeined as wel as their guiltines sufficiently prooved The dealings that they use towards us is first the rigor that they put us unto when time did serve them and yet do where they are able in that they raised up persecution against us in the cause of religion then also their disloial and unnatural practises now to recover their former usurpation again In that persecution of theirs against us we think they then delt and yet do over-hardly with us for that the cause being no greater than it was yet notwithstanding their punishment was exceeding greevous The cause we think was not so great for that cōmonly they persecuted us for nothing else but either for some tradition of their own or else for some thing that went against the earthly estate of the church of Rome either in the commoditie that they supposed to be du unto it or in the superioritie that they had obtained Howbeit neither of these being better cōsidered wil be as we
take it warrant inough for thē to touch us so neer as they did Their punishment was very extreme both in that they did to our persons by imprisonment torments cruel death and in that they made the cause haeresie and so overwhelmed us with the greatest reproch that could be devised Wheras notwithstanding neither the traditions that the church appointeth and wherof there may somtimes be had a verie good use nor the profit or superioritie of their prelacie are of that importance that they may make them matter of death nor haeretiks those that speak against them When they saw it come to that point even common charitie me think should have obtained thus much of them that neither they would have urged their own traditions so far nor stood so stiff to their profit or honor but that the life of those their brethren might have obtained some mitigation especially when as the substance of christianitie may stand without them as in ancient time it is known to have done for manie hundred yeers togither The practises that they use against us now are so wel known unto al and so greevous I think to the greater and better part of themselves to hear of that forsomuch as we do not use to greeve those whom we would persuade it is not needful heer to display them although we take them so far to exceed in that kind as that lightly they cannot be over-matched with any such like of the former ages But it shal be sufficient for them to consider but this one point only whether those practises of theirs be not so contrarie to the civile state as that they cannot stand togither but that the establishing of the one must needs be the overthrow of the other If it be so which I think they wil quikly finde then may themselves also be able to gather that such execution as now is done on certain of them is not onlie just but needful also and such as in no wise might be omitted til themselves do grow to better advisement 11 That other hinderance of the lesser sort that doth somwhat respect the cause in variance betwixt us is for that they wil seem to suppose though indeed it otherwise seemeth that manie of them are not so persuaded for which cause I have put this but among their lesser hinderances that how much soever we praetend to have the word of God to direct us in al our doings yet by the means of wrong translations we have it nothing at al indeed and therfore that it may stand with great probabilitie that so much as we swerve from our adversaries in those our doings so much also should it seem that we swerve from the word of God it self And this heertofore they have but seldom and more faintly alledged but now of late they have avouched it with greater confidence upon the hope of sufficient ground that they have conceived by those quarreling labors of master Martin and certain others of the Seminarie at Remes about the translation of the new testament that they have put foorth in the English toong Wherin how injurious they are unto us and how far they have overslipped themselves although it do alreadie sufficiently appeer both in the weaknes of their own doings and in the labors of others therin as also we trust that so it wil yet further appeer every day more than other yet to help forward the weaker and those that are not able to judge of the toongs by an easier way I would wish them to be somwhat better advised what is the advantage they seem to have gotten therby if the case so stood that we had been overseen in our translations in al those things that they lay to our charge and that they had therin attained unto the truer sense of the text For though so it were yet notwithstanding if we come to the matter that is to consider how weightie those points of religion are that they would seem to have gained therby although at the first they carrie with them a glorious shew yet in truth their advantage would so also fal out to be very smal both in respect of those places themselves and in respect of al the residu that they leave unto us untouched by them For if in those very places wherin they think they have special advantage against our translations in the substance of the matter notwithstanding they gain little therby then howsoever our translators have overslipped themselves yet do our adversaries get therby no sound advantage in respect of the cause that they do defend So likewise if those places wherin they finde fault with us be very few in respect of the rest that they leave untouched then do they both justifie our fidelitie in translating of them and not only make themselves and their doctrines liable unto the trial of them but also bar themselves for ever to lay to our charge in so absolute maner as they do that we have not the scriptures among us For unlesse they can shew that such as we have in such sort translated as that themselves do finde no fault therwith do not contain the effect and substance of the Christian faith which as yet I think not one of them al did ever alledge or lean unto for his warrant therin it is not for them to lay to our charge though in al those points we had been deceived that we have not the word of God among us so far as it is needful for our ful instruction in the faith and doctrine of Christ. Therfore to let passe whether we have rightly translated or not let us a little enter into the consideration of the matter it selfe and see what advantage themselves may hope to have gotten therby Which course if we take then do we finde that in their discoverie they do charge us two principal wais first with divers things more specially by name in the first twentie chapters then with a pak of others togither as matters belike of lesse importance in two of the last We are charged by name first of al with our inward meaning that of purpose we translate the holie scriptures falsely in favor of the haeresies that they suppose us to hold in the first chapter then with our open and plain dealings correspondent as they say to so il a meaning in al the rest unto the end of the twentith chapter And hitherto the method is good and the order plain and therfore have I set these things down as they stand there In that which followeth it seemeth that it was not the authors purpose to digest them into a method but only to make recital of them as they came to hand Nevertheles that to us both it may appeer more plainly what they or we have gained or lost by our translations in the pith or substance of religion it shal be good for both parts to lay them foorth in some plain easie method Those doings of ours therfore that they charge
he had al other parts of his bodie yet had he not the use of one of them al bicause that yet he wanted that living soul that could rightly use them Or in much like case as Lazarus was the fourth day dead laid in his grave chained up fast in the power of death having no abilitie at al to come forth or to help out himselfe until he was called forth by the word of thy power and withal had power given him to come Or as Nicodemus not yet regenerate or born again who though otherwise he were learned and wise yet did he not see any thing at al such things as belong unto thy kingdome neither yet was able until he was born again from above But as we are in truth thus far to acknowledge the want that is in us and to take the confusion therof to our selves as the proper and only portion that is du unto us so do we again to our comfort remember that thou art able to make our blinde eies to see to give us power to come forth unto thee and to make us able to understand whatsoever belongeth to our peace And this do we finde not only in thy holie word but also in thy mightie works finding it plain by long experience that thou often hast wrought and daily dost work such things as these where it pleaseth thee When as therby it cōmeth to passe that ever thou hast had hast at this praesent and ever shalt have a seed of those that glorifie thee and in some measure study to advance thy honor on earth First therfore giving unto thee al possible thanks for al those thy servants whom thou hast lightened with the knowledge of thy truth and brought into the way of life which either have been heertofore and now are past their pilgrimage heer and triumphing with thee in the heavens or else do live at this praesent whersoever they are in al the world desiring also to be with thee and to see the glorie of thy kingdome we most humbly beseech thee to gather togither to that assemblie al those thy servants that yet are to come in and wander as yet in their own natural blindnes until it please thee to visit them with thy grace from above O most gratious and merciful father hold on that course with the children of the new Adam now that thou didst with the first Adam before As thou hast given them eies harts and al other parts of the outward man in that they are born the natural children of men so we beseech thee to breath into them the living spirit that so their eies indeed may see and their harts understand not only the things of this world but also whatsoever is expedient for them to know belonging to the world to come and that al the powers both of their bodies and soules togither may in some good measure serve to such use as is seemly and meete for those that do appertain unto thee whom by adoption thou hast vouchsafed to make thy children And thou aeternal and everlasting son of the father who by the word of thy power quickenest whomsoever thou wilt al those which thy heavenly father hath given thee and never sufferest one of those to miscarrie we beseech thee to loase al those that are thine from the snares of sin and power of sathan that they may effectually hear thy voice be therwithal so quikned by thee that being set at libertie from the snares they were in and lieng bound in the grave no longer they come foorth at thy cal and do the service Thou also most glorious and mightie spirit the fountain of al our regeneration by whom unles we be born again we can never see the kingdome of God and by whom we are sealed to the day of redemption so many as are by aeternal election therunto ordeined we humbly beseech thee that as thou knowest who they are that are thine and in what time they are to be called so it would please thee so to work in them by thy power as that whosoever are yet but the natural children of Adam decaied and yet in the secret purpose of the Godhead do appertain to the kingdome of God may when the time of their refreshing doth come be so renued framed by thee that they also may plainly understand the doctrine thou teachest professe the same and frame their lives in some good measure agreeable to it and therin to their comfort finde that they also are sealed to aeternal life O blessed Trinitie it is not in us to reform our selves For both the enimie is stronger than we and stil detaineth us under his power and we likewise have no desire to be freed from him and besides that have a natural loathing of the way of life But unto thee O Lord it belongeth and to thee alone Thou art able both to deliver us from the bondage that we are in and to make us both to covet and to love to come to the freedome of thy children to spend the rest of our daies therin We pray not in this respect for the world though otherwise we beseech thee stil to continu thy wonted goodnes to it likewise to al the children of men but as thou hast more specially ordeined those whom thou hast chosen out of the world to be a peculiar people to thee to have now the knowledge and fear of thee and after to see thy glorie in heaven so we humbly desire that now thou wilt so effectually cal them in thy good time and sanctifie them heer in this life that after by the course that thou hast ordeined they may likewise come to life everlasting Seeing that the son is to be had in honor of al and it is not wel with the members until they be joined unto their head in both these respects we beseech thee make haste to unite them togither that the son may have to sanctifie him and to speak of his holy name and that his members heer on earth may so far injoy the peace and comfort that in him thou hast provided for them Grant this we beseech thee most merciful father thorough Iesus Christ thy son our Lord to whom with thee and the holie Ghost as of right appertaineth be ascribed al power thanks and glorie for ever and ever Amen FINIS Of the Author By what occasion he wrote His intent and purpose Of the booke it selfe In what maner it came foorth at the first What is don to it since First in the substance which is approoved Then in the form or maner of it which is amended The first part The second part The end of this bóoke Two parts of this booke The necessitie of resolution Acts. 7. Apoc. 3. Rom. 1. An advertisement The divels argument Wilful ignorance increaseth sin Psal. 35. Ose. 4. Iob. 21. See S. Austen of this sin De gra lib. arb chap. 3. S. Chrisostom hom 26. in epist. ad
Rom. What mind a man shuld bring to the reading of this booke Luc. 15. Iere. 12. Ionas 3. Leu. 11. Deut. 14. Deut. 6. Deut. 11. Iosu. 1. 1. Tim. 4. Psal. 1. Pro. 15. Eccl. 14. Gen. 24. Esai 38. Or moorn for it was in the way of sorrowing or lamentation Psal. 118. Psal. 62. Psal. 118. Psal. 38. Psal. 118. Psal. 76. Beleefe in grosse Marvelous effects of inconsideration Iere. 12. The nature of consideration A fit similitude 2. Cor. 4. Deut. 6. Luc. 1. Mat. 12. 1. Cor. 5. Eph. 5. Gen. 6. Gen. 19. Mat. 7. Acts. 1. 1. Cor. 4. 2. Cor. 4.6.11.12 1. Cor. 9. Phili. 2. 1. Cor. 2. A comparison Mat. 7. Luc. 12. Rom. 1. 1. Cor. 1. 2.3 Gal. 3. The conclusion of this chapter Esai 28. Deut. 6. Iosu. 22. Gen. 14. Luc. 1. The first consequence The second consequence Luc. 13.23 Mat. 19. Mar. 10. Luc. 19. The lamentable state of men of the world A comparison Gal. 6. Iohn 9. Luc. 12. Ioh. 7.8.2 1. Iohn 2. A praier Two parts of our end in this life Psal. 36. Esai 1. Rom. 6. 1. Pet. 2. Tit. 2. Two parts of the service of God Iohn 7. 2. Cor. 10. 1. Tim. 1. 2. Tim. 2. Phil. 1. Heb. 10. and 12. Matt. 9.10.20 Luk. 10. 1. Tim. 5. Psa. 125. Mat. 13. Esai 1. Mat. 25. Luc. 13. Mat. 25. How we ought to resist sin Heb. 12. Eph. 5. Iaco. 4. 1. Pet. 5. Matt. 5. Exo. 12. Deut. 5. How we must do good works Eccl. 9. Eccl. 1. Gal. 6. 1. Cor. 15. A description of a christian Eph. 2. The perfection of a christian life Augu. lib. 2. cont Iulian. lib. 1. de peccat mer. cap. vlt. Io. Cassian 1.5 ca. 12. deinceps Mat. 5. Iob. 9. Psal. 76. 1. Cor. 4. 2. Cor. 12. 2. Cor. 6. and 11. 1. Tim. 1. 1. Cor. 9. Remedies used by the ancient fathers for resisting of sin How much we fail in doing good works Iohn 6. Gal. 6. Phil. 2. * * Although many such things wer doon to superstitious and very il uses yet even then also were they somtimes sufficient testimonies of a great care to do wel so far as their knowledge served them in so manie as did not wilfully er but were desirous to know the truth and to do accordingly And so may those also be in such a sense examples to us Phil. 2. 2. Pet. 1. Luc. 16. Luc. 22. Mat. 13. Rom. 8. Apoc. 22. The different state of a good and evil man at the day of death Gal. 6. A principal point of wisdome in a servant A necessarie consideration Rom. 2. Rom. 7. Gal. 3. Heb. 12. Exo. 19. The dredful publication of the law Acts. 7. Exo. 20. Deut. 5. Heb. 12. Gods punishments Gen. 3. Gen. 7. Gen. 19. 1. Re. 28. 2. Re. 12. Christs speeches Mat. 25. Mat. 24. Mat. 22. Mat. 25. Mat. 13. Luc. 18. Mat. 19. Ioh. 14. Iohn 2. Mat. 5. Mat. 28. Luc. 13. Ioh. 5. Mat. 5. Mat. 12. Of the day of iudgement Two iudgements after death Iohn 5. Mat. 25. and 16. Luc. 16. Lib. 2. de anima ca. 4. 2. Cor. 5. The particular iudgement Aug. trac 49. in Io. Why there be two iudgments appointed Consider wel this reason good reader Of the generall day of iudgment Eccl. 12. Luc. 21. Mat. 24. Mar. 13. Esai 13. 1. Cor. 13. Mat. 25. 2. Cor. 5. 1. Co. 4 a. Luc. 12. Psal. 74. Sap. 5. Luc. 23. Apoc. 6. Mat. 25. 1. Pet. 4. The demands at the last day Psa. 149. A pitiful case Anselm Mat. 24. Apoc. 6. Apoc. 9. Mat. 25. The last sentence pronounced The conclusion Mar. 13. Mat. 24. A goodly exhortation of Christ. 2. Pet. 3. Eccl. 18. 1. Cor. 11. Gods hatred to sinners Psal. 5. Psal. 14. Pro. 15. Iob. 11. Esai 1. Psal. 13. Psal. 49. Eccl. 15. The reason why God so hateth a sinner The iniurie done to God by sin Mat. 17. Mar. 15. The malice of a sinner towards God Sapi. 1. Rom. 8. Psal. 7. Rom. 5. Iaco. 4. 1. Ioh. 3. Sinners enimies to God and God to them Such like also Isa. 26.11 Psal. 90. Gods hatred infinite against sinners Why every sin deserveth infinite punishment Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 1. The punishment of Angels Of Adam and Eve Esai 53. Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Luc. 22. Mat. 27. Psal. 21. Esai 53. The sin of Esau. Gen. 25. 27. Heb. 12. Of Saul 1. Re. 15. and 16. 1. Re. 9. 15. 16. 2. Reg. 9. Psal. 6.34.68.108.105.29 2. Re. 12. Eccl. 40. Psal. 10. Psal. 9. Psal. 3. Psal. 9. Psal. 36. Psa. 144. Psal. 57. Psal. 36. Psa. 103. Psa. 140. Eccl. 2. Psal. 71. Esai 13. Psal. 57. Pro. 14. Psal. 10. Tob. 12. Eccl. 21. Tob. 4. Psal. 9. 1. Ioh. 3. The obstinacie of sinners Psal. 57. The losses that came by sin Isa. 11. Ier. ibid. Rom. 6. Heb. 10. Heb. 6. Rom. 6. Heb. 10. Rom. 16. 2. Pet. 2. Excuse of sin Gal. 6. Rom. 11. Heb. 10. 2. Pet. 2. Ep. Iud. 2. Pet. 2. 2. Pet. 4. A good maner of reasoning Mat. 7. Luc. 13. Mat. 12. Psal. 9. How necessarie it is to fear Psa. 118. 2. Cor. 5. 1. Pet. 1. The danger of them which live in sin Psa. 118. Psal. 18. The maiestie of God Gen. 17. Esai 66. Deu. 10. Psa. 148. Iob. 9. 1. Tim. 6. Apoc. 1. Exo. 35. Dan. 7. A contemplation of the maiestie of God Iac. 2. A consideration of the benefits of God The benefit of creation The benefit of redemption 1. Pet. 2. The benefits of vocation and iustification Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 1. Rom. 5. 1. Co. 13. Esai 11. The benefit of the sacraments The use of sacraments The benefit of preservation and inspiration Apoc. 3. Aelian in hist. animal The intollerable ingratitude of a sinner Sin persecuted Christ unto death Gods complaint against sinners Psal. 34. Iere. 2. Isai. 1. Isai. 4. Causes of love in God besides his benefits A praier Psal. 24. The induration of som harts Gen. 19. Ex. 6.7.8.9 Matth. 26. Zach. 7. Esai 1. Psal. 9. Heb. 9. Esai 2.13.34.37.61 2. Cor. 5. Psal. 75. The great change of things at the day of death 1. Cor. 2. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 1. Sap. 5. Of the souls parting from the bodie the first matter of miserie in death * * Those paines in death are especially to be restreined to the death of the worldlie for the godlie have for the most part a singular comfort therin A similitude expressing the pains of death Ser. 48. ad frat in eremo The second matter of miserie in death Eccl. 41. Luc. 12. The sorrow of leaving al. The third matter of miserie in death Eccl. 10. The cogitation of the bodie Mat. 19. 1. Ioh. 2. Matt. 7. Rom. 2. Luc. 13. 1. Cor. 6. Rom. 8. Gal. 5. 2. Cor. 5. Iere. 2. Apo. 20. 2. Pet. 2. 1. Pet. 4. Mat. 19. Ierom in vita Hilarionis abba A very profitable consideration The cogitation spech of the soul at the day of death Psa. 115.
and to leave al vanities of the world if he did consider as he should do the waightie reasons he hath to moove him thereunto the reward he shal receive for it and his infinite danger if he do it not But bicause as I have said scarce one among a thousand doth enter into these considerations or if he do it is with lesse attention or continuance than so great a matter requireth herof it commeth that so many men perish daily and so few are saved for that by lack of consideration they neuer resolve themselves to live as they should do and as the vocation of a Christian man requireth So that we may also complain with holie Ieremie alledged in the beginning that our earth also of Christianitie is brought to desolation for that men do not deeply consider in their harts 10 Consideration is the key which openeth the dore to the closet of our hart where al our bookes of account do lie It is the looking glasse or rather the very eie of our soule wherby she seeth hir selfe and looketh into al hir whole estate hir riches hir good gifts hir defects hir safetie hir danger hir waie she walketh in hir pase she holdeth and finally the place and end which she draweth unto And without this consideration shee runneth on blindly into a thousand brakes and briers stumbling at every step into some one inconvenience or other and continually in peril of some great deadlie mischief And it is a wonderful matter to think that in other busines of this life men both see and confesse that nothing can be either begun prosecuted or wel ended without consideration and yet in this great busines of the kingdome of heaven no man almost vseth or thinketh the same necessarie 11 If a man had to make a journey but from England to Constantinople albeit he had made the same once or twise before yet would he not passe it over without great and often consideration especially whether he were right and in the way or no what pase he held how neere he was to his wais end and the like And thinkest thou my deer brother to passe from earth to heaven and that by so manie hils and dales and dangerous places never passed by thee before and this without any consideration at al Thou art deceived if thou thinkest so for this journey hath far more need of consideration than that being much more subject to bypaths and dangers every pleasure of this world every lust every dissolute thought every alluring sight and tempting sound every divel vpon the earth or instrument of his which are infinite being a theefe and lieng in wait to spoil thee and to destroy thee vpon this way towards heaven 12 Wherfore I would give counsel to every wise passenger to looke wel about him and at least wise once a day to enter into consideration of his estate and of the estate of his treasure which he carieth with him in a brickle vessel as Saint Paul affirmeth I mean his soule which may as soone be lost by inconsideration as the smallest and nicest jewell in this world as partly shall appeer by that which heerafter I have written for the help of this consideration wherof both I my self and al other Christians do stand in so great need in respect of our acceptable service to God For surely if my soul or any other did consider attentievly but a few things of many which she knoweth to be trew she could not but speedily reform hir self with infinite mislike and detestation of hir former course As for example if she considered thoroughly that hir only comming into this life was to attend to the service of God and that she notwithstanding attendeth only or the most part to the vanities of this world that she must give account at the last day of every idle word and yet that she maketh none account not only of words but also not of evil deeds that no fornicator no adulterer no vsurer no couetous or vnclean person shal ever enjoy the kingdome of heaven as the scripture saith and yet she thinketh to go thither living in the same vices that one only sin hath ben sufficient to damn many thousands togither and yet she being loden with many thinketh to escape that the way to heaven is hard strait and painful by the affirmation of God himself and yet she thinketh to go in living in pleasures and delites of the world that al holie saints that ever were as the Apostles mother of Christ hir self with al good men since chose to them selves to live an austere life in painful labour profitable to others fasting praieng punishing their bodies and the like and for al this lived in feare and trembling of the judgements of God she attending to none of these things but folowing hir pastimes maketh no doubt of hir own estate If I saie my soule or anie other did in deede and in earnest consider these things or the least part of a thousand more that might be considered and which our Christian faith doth teach vs to be tru she would not wander as the most part of Christian souls do in such desperate peril thorough want of consideration 13 What maketh theeves to seeme mad vnto wise men that seing so manie hanged dailie for theft before their eies wil yet notwithstanding steal again but lak of consideration And the verie same cause maketh the wisest men of the world to seeme verie fooles and worse than frantiks vnto God and good men that knowing the vanities of the world and the danger of sinful life do folow so much the one and feare so litle the other If a law were made by the authoritie of man that whosoever shuld adventure to drink wine should without delaie hold his hand but half an hour in the fire or in boiling lead for a punishment I thinke manie would forbear wine albeit naturallie they loued the same and yet a law being made by the eternal maiestie of God that whosoever committeth sin shal boile everlastinglie in the fire of hel without ease or end manie one for lack of consideration do commit sin with as litle fear as they do eat or drink 14 To conclude therfore consideration is a most necessarie thing to be taken in hand especiallie in these our daies wherin vanitie hath so much prevailed with the most as it semeth to be tru wisdome and the contrarie therof to be meere follie and contemptible simplicitie But I doubt not by the assistance of God and help of consideration to discover in that which foloweth the error of this matter unto the discreet Reader which is not wilfullie blinded or obstinatelie given over unto the captivitie of his ghostlie enimie for some such men there be of whom God saith as it were pitieng and lamenting their case They haue made a leag with death and a couenant with hel it self that is they
wil not come out of the danger wherin they be but wil headlong cast themselves into everlasting perdition rather than by consideration of their estate recover to themselves eternal life and glorie from which deadlie obstinacie the Lord of his mercie deliver us all that belong unto him CHAP. III. Of the end for which man was created and placed in this world NOw then in the name of almightie God and with the assistance of his holie spirit let the Christian man or woman desirous of salvation first of al consider attentivelie as a good marchant-factour is wont to do when he is arrived in a strange countrie or as a captain sent by his prince to some great exploit is accustomed when he commeth to the place appointed that is to think for what cause he came thither why he was sent to what end what to attempt what to prosecute what to perform what shal be expected and required at his hands vpon his return by him that sent him thither For these cogitations no doubt shal stir him vp to attend to that which he came for and not to emploie himself in impertinent affaires The like I saie would I have a Christian to consider and to aske of himself why and to what end was he created of God and sent hither into this world what to do wherein to bestow his daies he shal finde for no other cause or end but onlie to serve God in this life This was the condition of our creation and this was the onlie consideration of our redemption prophesied by Zacharie before That we being delivered from the hands of our enimies might serve him in holines and righteousnes al the daies of our life 2 Of this it followeth first that seing the end and final cause of our being in this world is to serve God in this life that whatsoever we do or endevour or bestow our time in either contrarie or impertinent to this end which is only to the service of God though it were to gain al the kingdoms of the earth yet is it meere vanitie follie and lost labour and wil turn vs one day to greefe repentance and confusion for that it is not the matter for which we came into this life or of which we shal be asked account at the last day except it be to receave judgement for the same 3 Secondlie it foloweth of the premisses that seing our only end and busines in this world is to serve God and that al other earthly creatures are put here to serve vs to that end we should for our parts be indifferent to al these creatures as to riches or povertie to health or sicknes to honour or contempt and we should desire only so much or litle of the same as were best for vs to our said end that we intend that is to the service of God for whosoever desireth or seeketh the creatures more than this runneth from his end for the which he came hither 4 By this now may a careful Christian take some scantling of his own estate with God make a conjecture whether he be in the right way or no. For if he attend only or principally to this end for which he was sent hither that is so serve God if his cares cogitations studies endevours labours talk and other his actions run upon this matter and that he careth no more for other creatures as honor riches learning and the like then they are necessarie vnto him for this end which he pretendeth if his daies and life I say be spent in this studie of the service of God then is he dowtles a most happy and blessed man and shal at length attain to the kingdom of God 5 But if he find himself in a contrarie case that is not to attend to this matter for which only he was sent hither nor to haue in his hart and studie this service of God but rather some other vanitie of the world as promotion wealth pleasure sumptuous apparel gorgious buildings bewtie or any other thing els that pertaineth not to this end if he spend his time I say about these trifles having his cares and cogitations his talk and delight more in them than about the other great busines for which he was sent then is he in a perilous course â—eading directly to perdition except he alter â—nd change the same For most certain it is that whosoever shal not attend vnto the service he came for shal never attain to thereward promised to that service 6 And bicause the most part of the world not only of infidels but also of Christians do amisse in this point and do not attend to this thing for which they were only created and sent hither thence it is that Christ and his holy saints have alwais spoken so hardly of the smal number that are in state of salvation even among Christians and have uttered some speeches which seeme very rigorous to flesh and blood and scarce trew albeit they must be fulfilled as that It is easier for a camel to go thorough a nedels eie than for a rich man to enter into heaven The reason of which saieng and many mo standeth in this that a rich man or worldling attending to heap riches can not attend to do that which he came for into this world and consequently never attain heaven except God work a miracle and so cause him to contemn his riches and to vse them only to the service of God as som times he doth and we haue a rare example in the Gospel of Zacheus who being a very rich man presently vpon the entering of Christ into his house and much more into his hart by faith gave half his goods vnto the poore and offered withal that whom soever he had injuried to him he would make four-times so much restitution 7 But hereby now may be seene the lamentable state of manie thousand Christians in the world which are so far of from bestowing their whole time and travel in the service of God as they never almost think of the same or if they do it is with very little care or attention Good Lord how many men and women be there in the world which bearing the name of Christians scarce spend one hour of fower and twentie in the service of God! How many do beat their brains about worldlie matters and how few are troubled with this care How manie find time to eate drink sleepe disport deck and paint themselues out to the world and yet have no time to bestow in this greatest busines of all other How many spend over whole daies weeks months and yeers in hauking hunting other pastimes without making account of this matter What shall be come of these people What wil they say at the day of judgement What excuse wil they have 8 If the marchant factor which I spake of before after many yeers spent beyond the seas returning home to geeve accounts to his maister